Conjuring Pain
by Ailendolin
Summary: Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him? UPDATE! CHAPTER 19! Story now complete!
1. The Box

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1838

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Welcome to the new and hopefully improved version of this story. More info on that in the A/N of the new chapter (chapter 7).  
English is not my first language (German is), so there are bound to be some mistakes.  
Also, I think of Quaxo and Mistoffelees as the same cat. Whenever Quaxo uses magic, his appearance changes and only later will he adopt the name of Mistoffelees.

**Chapter 01: The Box**

It was dark in the empty park but that did not bother the little black-and-white tom. He was excited. It was the first time his mother took him outside of their home and showed him the world. Every blade of grass seemed funny under his paws and he stumbled over the smallest of stones. Everything was new and looked like a smaller version of the whole world to the little cat. Behind every corner wonders waited just to be discovered and he was eager to see all of them this night, especially the ones his brothers and sisters had told him about.

His mother only shook her head. It was obvious how much her son loved to be outside and she had waited a lot longer to take him here than she had with his siblings, knowing how clumsy he was even though he could see in the dark as well as the light. This clumsiness was paired with a good sense of curiosity and the queen was sure that it would lead him into trouble one day or the other.

"Be careful!" she quietly hissed at him, knowing full-well what kind of effect this had on the little tom. He stopped dead in his tracks and looked fearfully up at her, not knowing what he had done wrong. "It's dangerous out here," she continued. "You can't go fooling around thinking everything will be fine. We're not at home where it's safe. Look where you go and be quiet!" she scolded him while walking past the young tom who had lowered his eyes to the ground.

"I am sorry, I won't do it again, p-promise!"

The small cat turned around to follow his mother but slipped on one of the wet stones. He cried out when he landed painfully on the ground making his mother turn around hissing at him again to be quiet. Carefully, she observed the area around them, listening intently for any uncommon and dangerous sounds. When she was sure there was nothing nearby she went over to her son. He had not moved from his position on the ground, too frightened of the world around him and his mother punishing him for misbehaving. Suddenly, the happiness he had felt about finally being outside diminished and he found himself liking the world with its wonders less and less.

His mother's gaze was furious when she looked down at him and not for the first time in his young life he was scared of her.

"Do you by any chance know what you just have done?" she hissed, quietly but vehemently. "We could be dead by now! There are pollicles out there who eat little kittens like you for breakfast. This is not fun, Quaxo! Everytime we go outside and walk on the streets we have to be careful. One wrong step and we might end up dead. Do you understand that?"

He nodded quietly, not trusting his voice to work. His mother had never been this angry with him before. He knew he was rather clumsy and tended to get into trouble but never before had his mother scolded him for simply being himself.

"Let's go home," his mother finally said with a sigh. "I don't think it was a good idea to take you with me."

She went to turn around when her ears picked up a low growl in one of the bushes across the path. The queen froze on the spot, not making a sound. Her kitten fearfully looked up at her with his dark eyes wide with fear. He did not know what was wrong and she prayed to the Everlasting Cat that he would not move or make a sound.

But it was already too late. A second later a huge pollicle jumped out of the bush, baring his teeth and growling at his victims. The queen hissed at the dog and scratched him in the face. After a moment of watching him growl angrily in pain she ran away from the predator and her son, hoping that the dog would follow her instead of going after the easier prey. And it did, but way faster than she had imagined. She ran for her dear life, all the time hearing the desperate cries of her son who now stood on his feet watching her anxiously.

The queen screamed for him to run home and cursed under her breath when he did not move from his spot. She could feel the foul breath of the pollicle on her tail and knew that he was about to bite her and tear her apart. Looking back over her shoulder she saw him opening his snout, and then everything went white.

A second later she opened her eyes to find the pollicle running away yelping. The air smelled of burnt fur and she needed a moment to realize what had just happened. With shock written all over her face she looked warily towards her son who lay a few feet away from her. Yellowish white light emitted from his front paws and one of them had turned from white to black just like the other one had always been. The same went for his other two feet. Both of them were now black and his coat seemed to glitter in the faint moonlight.

Slowly and carfully she crept to her son as if he were some strange creature she did not know.

"Mom?" she heard him whimper. "What happened? My paws … they hurt," he said quietly, too tired to even lift his head to look at her. She hissed at him and a hostile look was in her eyes when she sniffed at his paws. The yellow light began to ebb away and she could see that both his front paws were burnt. In any normal situation she would have licked them and brought him home to tend to them. But this was most definitely not a normal situation. She knew what her son had done and what he had become. There was no doubt: He had been the one who had shot those bright lightning flashes at the dog and made him run away.

"Stand up!" she commanded in an almost steady voice, not even bothering to give him a nuzzle.

Confused, he looked up at her. "Mom?"

"I said: Stand up!" she repeated harshly and he looked at her with bewilderment written all over his face. This was even stranger than her behavior before. He could understand that she was angry with him for calling attention to them and being loud, but she had never ever screamed or yelled at him like this before. He wondered why she did not come and cuddle him, making the pain in his paws go away. Hurt and tired, he began to sit up only to fall over again. His paws burned.

"Mom, I can't!" he cried, tears filling his eyes. She huffed and picked him up. The queen started to run out of the park and onto the streets of London. She had to get him as far away as she could from herself and her family. Her son was evil and abnormal and would only endanger the rest of the cats in the house. All motherly feelings she had held for him until this night were gone. She did not see her son anymore in the kitten she carried, but a sinister creature which held no place in her heart.

Suddenly, she skidded to a halt and looked around. This area was far enough away from her home for him to find his way back on his own. She walked into a nearby alley and sat him down.

"Go into that box there," she commanded.

With a whimper he crawled over to the box made of paper, uncertainty and fear plainly visible in his eyes the whole time. Slowly, he went inside and turned around just in time to watch his mother leave. Horror and panic filled his mind.

"Mom! Wait for me!" he cried. Ignoring the pain in his paws, he stumbled outside. The tall queen turned around with a scowl.

"Into the box! Now!" She pushed him harshly backwards. "Stay there and don't follow me! I won't put up with you anymore. You're wrong and I don't tolerate someone like you in the vicinity of my family."

"But … but I am a part of your family," the little tom said confused.

"No, you're not," she said coldly. "Go back into that box. You're not worth my time."

"Mom, please don't leave! I'm sorry for being a bad boy. I will do better next time, I promise!"

"No, you won't!" she hissed and scratched his leg, forcing him to back away from her.

"But, you are my Mommy, and, and I love you," he whispered.

"Well, I don't love you back!"

With that she turned around and ran away into the pitch black night. Clouds now hid the moonlight and without streetlamps it became dark in the narrow alley. Scared, the little cat tried to make out his mother in the darkness, calling her name. He did not understand why she had left. She was his mother and mothers were supposed to care for their children. Mothers did not willingly leave their kittens alone in the streets at night.

A raindrop fell onto the ground in front of him and soon more followed. The small kitten hurried back to the box like his mother had told him to do. His paws hurt even more than before but it was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart.

"Mommy will come back," he whispered into the darkness as he laid his head on his front paws. Slowly, tears began to fall from his eyes as he looked outside into the rain hoping to see his mother coming back to get him and telling him that she did not mean what she had said.

Minutes went by and the rain softened the paper-ceiling of his hiding place and, after a little while, tiny droplets of water began to fall down and vanished in his black fur. The young cat shivered from the cold and the rain but remained obediently inside the box. If his mother came back and he was not there she would be very angry with him and he did not want that.

More tears cascaded down his face and mingled with the raindrops. He wanted nothing more than to be home and held by his mother. He wanted her to tell him a goodnight story so that he was not afraid anymore. But deep inside his heart he knew that that would not happen, that he would never feel the safety of her warm fur again. He had been left alone, forgotten on the streets. Kicked out of his family as if he were despicable.

'Maybe I am," he thought sadly and shuddered. Without much hope he kept on calling for his mother to come back to him.

**TBC**


	2. Little One

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1573

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Chapter 02: Little One**

It had been a quiet but successful night so far. He had even managed to catch a few mice. But then, a few minutes ago, it had begun to rain, slowly at first with only a few droplets that had quickly turned into a downpour. The rain fell so heavily that it made it hard to see where one was going and impossible to hunt. He knew he had to be on guard and careful now. Running more or less blindly around on the streets was one of the few situations he dreaded and was afraid of. He liked to see what was around him so he could be in control of anything that happened. Now he could only see a grey curtain of rain and it made him uneasy. Thankfully his ears told him that nothing dangerous seemed to be near but he still remained alert.

The tabby knew from experience that these streets were no safe place for a cat. Numerous dangers lurked in the corners and it felt like a million eyes were observing his every move. Warily he kept on walking, hissing at every sound that seemed unusual. He was glad that the junkyard was not that far away anymore. Only a few more streets and he would be safe. Then he would be able to lie down inside the dishwasher he called home and dry himself off. Like most cats he was not fond of rain.

His ears picked up a strange sound and he halted, his body tense. After a moment the sound came again. It almost sounded like a wail. The voice was faint and he looked into the direction it seemed to be coming from.

'It could be a trap,' he silently thought, but when he heard the tiny voice crying out in pain and distress again he threw all cautions into the wind and crossed the street. A few seconds later he stood in front of a dark alley. The cries were definitely coming from inside it and, after looking nervously to his right and left, he entered the narrow place. Luckily the rain was not as bad in there as it was on the open streets and he took a look around. The alley was like any other: dark, wet and gross. Everywhere lay trash the humans had put there and when the smell of bad food hit him his nose wrinkled in disgust. He forced himself to move forward when a soaked box caught his attention. A little black tail with a white tip came out of it and as lightning lit the alley up for a moment he could see that the tail belonged to a very small black cat.

'A kitten,' he realized. He carefully walked over to the box, trying not to frighten the young cat.

"Hey," he called softly. Immediately, the drenched kitten withdrew himself even further into the box, the tail vanishing from view.

"I won't hurt you," he tried again. He carefully looked inside the box to find deep dark eyes staring fearfully back at him. He frowned when he saw how violently the small kitten was shivering. He briefly wondered who left their child alone on the streets during a storm.

"Where is your Mom?" he asked.

The eyes of the black-and-white kitten filled with tears and the tabby feared that his mother had been killed by pollicles. The actual answer, however, shocked him more than anything a pollicle could have possibly done.

"She left me." The kitten sniffed. "She … she didn't want m-me anymore."

Munkustrap's face softened at this and he felt tears stinging his own eyes. He could not understand how someone could abandon this tiny kitten that was way too young to be on its own.

"Oh, little one ... I am sorry," he said quietly and nuzzled the drenched back of the kitten.

"Can you m-make her come back? Love me again?" the kitten asked hopefully.

It broke Munkustrap's heart to hear those words. This kitten was in so much emotional pain the tabby wanted to tell him everything would be alright. But that would have been a lie and he could not do this to the young one.

"I'm afraid I can't," he replied truthfully.

Tears fell down the white face of the small cat and sobs wracked his whole body. Concerned, Munkustrap watched the kitten for a moment, observing him intently. He finally came to a conclusion: He had to get him out of the rain and somewhere warm. The kitten was too young to be able to survive a night in the rain, or a day alone on the streets.

"I will take care of you, if you want me to," Munkustrap offered quietly.

He began to lick the black fur softly and waited patiently for a reaction. The young cat looked at him with teary eyes.

" I am not worth your time. I was n-not worth Mommy's time," he hiccupped.

"Yes, you are. Your Mom just did not see it," Munkustrap said gently but firmly.

The little tom cast his eyes downward. "I will just be a burden to you," he said.

"No, you will not," Munkustrap assured. "How can someone you care for be a burden?"

The kitten glanced up to find the grey tabby smiling softly.

"Come on, let's go somewhere dry."

Munkustrap smiled gently at the rather lost-looking kitten and waited for him to stand up and come out of the box. When he tried to, however, his legs gave way and he fell onto the floor. Alarmed, the tabby checked him over for possible injuries.

"Are you hurt somewhere?" he asked.

"My paws …"

The black-and-white kitten held up one of his front paws to let Munkustrap take a look at it. The tabby sighed. He did not know where the small kitten could have burnt his paws but it was clear that he could not walk on them.

"Well, then I'll have to carry you, hm? Can you crawl out of the box for me? I can't reach your neck," the tabby asked and watched how the small cat slowly came out of the box, sometimes wincing in pain. The little one was a tuxedo cat, he noticed, almost everywhere black except for three paws, his chest, face and the tip of his tail.

"That's good, very good," Munkustrap praised the young cat. "Now let's get out of here."

He grabbed the kitten with his teeth at the neck and once he had a firm grip he began to run out of the alley. The last few minutes he had not even noticed the rain, but now that he was back on the street again it came pouring down on him with more force than before. He felt the kitten shiver and heard his teeth chattering. Silently he prayed that he would be at the junkyard in time. He did not want the little one to get sick or, even worse, die.

The streets were very slippery and under normal circumstances he would have been a bit more cautious and attentive to his surroundings, but this time he did not bother with that. By now they were in the area of the junkyard which was guarded very well. No pollicle or other danger passed those borders. They were safe.

A little bit more carefully he made his way over to the dishwasher a moment later and once inside he laid the little kitten down on one of the fluffy pillows that lay everywhere.

"We're there, little one," he said softly and started licking the black-and-white fur dry. His own could wait. The Everlasting Cat knew how long the young tom had been alone out there.

"Better?" he asked after most of the fur was dry. The little cat nodded and started licking Munkustrap's paw dry which brought a smile to the tabby's face. He started drying himself while he let his new charge work on his paw. The shivering had ceased, he noticed, and after they were both dry Munkustrap placed one of the blankets in his den above them, sharing also his body heat with the black kitten to get him warm.

"What's your name?" he asked a moment later, realizing that he did not know.

"Quaxo," the little one yawned and snuggled closer to the warm body of his new-found protector.

"I'm Munkustrap," the tabby replied, nuzzling Quaxo's head.

"Will you stay with me, Munkus?"

The little kitten sounded so insecure and Munkustrap silently cursed the queen which once called herself his mother.

"Of course I'll stay with you," he said and put all his sincerity into his voice.

"Thank you," came the almost inaudible reply before the tabby felt the breathing of the little tuxedo even out signaling that he was asleep. Sighing, he smiled lovingly down at the kitten and once again nuzzled his head.

"Good night, little Quaxo. May your dreams be happy."

He laid his head down and watched the kitten sleep. Tomorrow they would have to go to Jenny and Jelly so they could take a look at Quaxo's paws. He had no intention to let them get infected and when someone truly knew how to tend to them then it was these two queens. With one last look at the fragile kitten that laid curled up at his side he closed his eyes and fell asleep to the sound of the rain.

**TBC**


	3. Fur Ball

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1675

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Chapter 3: Fur Ball**

"Munk?"

Confused, Tugger stared up at his brother's den. It was late in the morning, and Munkustrap usually waited for him outside the dishwasher every day. Could it be that his dutiful brother had slept in? A grin made its way to Tugger's face, and he quietly crept towards the entry. Munkustrap would never live that one down.

"Hey, Munk, wakey-wakey!" he called out smugly as he peeked inside. Indeed, his brother was still sleeping, huddled under a blanket. Tugger shook his head, snorting. What had Munk done last night to make him so tired? Or better asked: What had he done with whom?

"Munk, come on. The sky is blue, the sun is shining, and you have duties to do."

A yawn showed Tugger that his brother was finally coming around. First one, then the other eye opened, and the silver tabby stretched gracefully.

"Tugger? What are you doing in my den?" he asked groggily, trying to clear his thoughts from sleep.

"Well, let's put it this way," Tugger said with a grin. "You weren't outside as usual, so I figured you were still asleep."

"Is it that late already?" Munkustrap asked. "I feel like I haven't slept more than an hour…"  
He gave another yawn, then his gaze fell on the huddled blanket beside him, and he softly nuzzled it.

"Hey, little one," he said quietly. "Come on, wake up."

"Munk", Tugger stated as he suspiciously eyed the blanket, "I always knew you were weird, but talking to a blanket is the weirdest thing you've ever done - even if you're still half asleep."

Munkustrap gave him a look that clearly said, 'Look who's talking,' before he carefully pulled the blanket away to reveal a yawning black-and-white fur ball.

"Er, Munk? Why do you have a kitten in your den? They're supposed to stay with Jenny ..." Tugger trailed off and moved closer to observe the little cat.

"He's not one of ours. I found him last night in the rain. He was drenched, Tugger. I couldn't leave him out there. So I took him with me. He's the reason why I slept in," Munkustrap explained as he nuzzled the kitten who tried to vanish into the blankets.

"Good morning, Quaxo," he laughed. "How are you feeling?"

Dark eyes looked up, not noticing the other cat in the den. "Better," Quaxo replied sincerely. "Not so cold anymore, but my paws still hurt."

Munkustrap smiled slightly and nudged the little tom.

"Tugger and I will get you to Jenny and Jelly. They'll make you feel better."

Munkustrap pointed to his brother, and Quaxo's eyes followed. Fearfully, he looked up at the big cat with the mane. Tugger chuckled.

"Hello there, little guy. I'm the one and only Rum Tum Tugger."

Munkustrap rolled his eyes, and Quaxo hid behind his back, scared.

"You don't have to be afraid of him, Quaxo. He may be a little strange and egoistical, but he's my brother and he's nice," Munkustrap consoled the little tux. Slowly a white face appeared behind the tabby, and two dark eyes looked curiously at the other cat, which still smiled at him.

"Hi," he said shyly. Tugger took this as a good sign and came over to nuzzle Quaxo's head.

"See? He can be nice," Munkustrap said, laughing when his brother rolled his eyes. Quaxo smiled unsurely and lay down again to relieve his paws from the pain. He decided that he liked the other cat. He seemed nice enough, although he was different from Munkustrap.

"I guess we should lose no time and go and visit Jelly and Jenny," Tugger suggested when he saw that Quaxo was trying not to put any weight on his paws.

"Yeah, you're right," Munkustrap agreed and he picked up Quaxo at his neck like he had the night before and together with Tugger they left the den. Outside the sun was shining brightly. It was one of the first warm days of spring, and thus the junkyard was filled with other cats fooling around or guarding the borders. Many curious eyes followed the three cats crossing the yard. They immediately became the centre of attention.

"Hey, Munkus, what're you carrying there?" a red queen asked.

"Later, Bomba," Tugger replied for his brother and looked concernedly at the little cat. Quaxo was shivering and trying to curl himself into a ball while being carried. He seemed to be afraid of attention, and one look at Munkustrap told him that they would talk about this later. Luckily, they reached Jenny's den a just then, the curious eyes of the other Jellicles never leaving them. Tugger pounded on the door, and a moment later Jenny's smiling face greeted him.

"Good morning, Tugger. What can I do for you?"

"For me nothing, but the little fur ball here needs your help."

Tugger took a step aside to reveal Munkustrap with the kitten in his mouth. Jenny gasped and ushered them inside.

"Lay him on the blanket there, Munkus," she ordered before she went to get Jelly and some water.

Munkustrap did as he was told, and Quaxo immediately crept closer to him again after being let down. He tried to bury himself inside Munkustrap's fur, and the tabby could feel him shivering.

"Shh… Everything's okay, Quaxo. Jenny and Jelly will help you. You don't have to be afraid."

"Can we go back, please? I don't like it here," Quaxo asked quietly.

"Later," Munkustrap promised. "After they have taken a look at you."

The two queens came back just that moment and lowered themselves to be at eye-level with the kitten and smiled.

"Hello, little one. My name's Jennyanydots, and this is Jellylorum. What's your name?" Jenny asked.

"Quaxo." He sniffled and hid his face in Munkustrap's chest fur.

"Quaxo... Now, that's a nice name. So, are you hurt somewhere, Quaxo? Can you tell us?" Jelly asked softly. Quaxo looked anxiously at Munkustrap and, seeing him nodding, he cast his eyes downward onto his paws and said, "My paws. They hurt really bad when I try to stand on them."

His voice was barely audible and he still shivered from fear but he showed the queens his paws nonetheless. When they saw the burn wounds, Jelly and Jenny exchanged a concerned look.

"Where did he get those?" the Gumbie Cat asked Munkustrap and Tugger, who only shrugged.

"I don't know. I found him in a box yesterday night, drenched from head to toe. He already had them then," Munkustrap explained.

"Well, we have to clean them and bind them or they'll get infected," Jenny said. She turned towards Quaxo. "Does anything else feel wrong, Quaxo?"

The little kitten shook his head.

"No sore throat or sneezing?" Jelly inquired further while she felt his temperature.

"No…" Quaxo said, looking timidly at them.

Everyone in the room sighed with relief. It was a good sign that Quaxo had not caught a cold. Colds could kill a kitten his age, especially one as small as Quaxo.

"Okay, we will clean your paws now," Jelly explained. "It will burn briefly, but I promise it gets better afterwards."

Jenny nodded to Munkustrap and Tugger, and they both laid down on either side of Quaxo, giving him support and whispering calming phrases into his tiny ears. To their surprise he did not cry out as the procedure began. The only sign of the pain he was in was the constant whimpering and the tears that rolled down his white face. On his left side, Tugger nuzzled his head reassuringly, and, on his right, Munkustrap brushed the salty droplets away.

"All done," Jelly declared after a few minutes while Jenny put the things away. Both of Quaxo's front paws were bandaged in white cloth.

"I have put an ointment on them, so they should heal perfectly. Come to us in two days so we can change the bandages."

"Thank you. You two are the greatest," Munkustrap said as he first hugged Jelly then Jenny.

"Go home with your little kitten," Jenny said with a small smile. "We will talk about him later. Get him comfortable and give him some water to drink. I think he is old enough for it, even if he looks so small." She held up a green bowl, and Tugger took it while Munkustrap picked up Quaxo again. "Also," she continued and handed Tugger another bowl, blue this time, with brownish mush in it, "Try to get him to eat something."

"What about mice?" Munkustrap asked. "Not mashed ones, I mean."

Jelly shrugged. "He should be able to eat them. In small pieces, of course."

They thanked the two queens once more and made their way back to Munkustrap's den, once more stared at by the other cats in the junkyard.

"You know, you'll have to tell them what all this is about soon. It's not like you can hide him, anyway," Tugger said quietly. Munkustrap only nodded. They reached the den, and the tabby sat Quaxo down on the same pillow he had slept on last night.

"You have done very well, Quaxo," he praised him and nuzzled his neck while Tugger made himself comfortable next to the black kitten.

"Are you thirsty? Hungry?" he asked, and the little kitten nodded shyly. Tugger put some water into the green bowl while Munkustrap placed the blanket around Quaxo. The little cat began to drink the liquid eagerly and then turned his attention to the other bowl. He yawned and sleepily licked at the mush, his eyes close to falling shut.

"I guess it's time to sleep, little one."

Munkustrap smiled down at his charge and put the bowls out of the way before tucking Quaxo in even more. The little cat yawned and closed his eyes without protests, which earned him surprised looks from the two toms.

"Night, Munkus, night Tugger. Love you."

With that the small kitten was asleep, and Tugger und Munkustrap knew at that moment that they would do anything to protect this little black and white wonder from any harm.

**TBC**


	4. We'll Manage

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1813

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Chapter 04: We'll manage**

"We have to tell Old Deuteronomy about him," Tugger stated quietly after they had watched the little tom sleep for a while.

"I know." Munkustrap sighed and stroked fondly Quaxo's midnight black fur. "I just hope he lets Quaxo join the tribe," he continued. "I mean, it's not like I can take him back to where I found him and leave him all by himself. He would not make it, Tugger, and I cannot do that to him."

Tugger nodded and looked thoughtfully at Quaxo. "Why was he there in the first place anyway?" he asked.

"That's the sad part of the story. His mother left him there."

"Was she killed by a pollicle?"

Munkustrap shook his head and looked sorrowfully at Tugger. "No, I almost wished it had been that. It would've been better for Quaxo."

Munkustrap became quiet and turned his head towards the young tux. The small kitten lay curled up sleeping under some blankets and pillows, completely unaware of his surroundings or the two toms quietly talking about him. He slept peacefully and Munkustrap was glad for that. He knew that the nightmares would come soon enough, and he already dreaded them.

"What happened, Munk? Come on, tell me," Tugger demanded and the silver tabby turned his attention once more to his younger brother.

"Don't you get it?" he asked softly, sadness shimmering in his eyes. "His mother left him there to die, Tugger. She wanted her own kitten to die."

"How do you know this?" Tugger inquired, shocked because of what he had just heard.

"Quaxo told me himself," Munkustrap explained. "He said his mother didn't want him anymore, and by the Everlasting Cat, I can't imagine why. I mean, just take a look at him, Tugger. Never in my life have I seen a kitten this well-behaved."

They both turned their gazes on Quaxo as the kitten yawned and snuggled deeper into the blankets. Smiles made their way to their faces.

"The only problem he has is that he's a little too small for his age but that's no reason to abandon him if you ask me," Munkustrap concluded and looked helplessly at his brother who merely shrugged.

"Maybe she was no longer able to take care of him," Tugger tried but somehow he knew it was a vain attempt to explain Quaxo's situation.

"No, Tugger. He thought of himself as a burden when I found him."

Tugger did not know what to say to that. How could someone this young think something like that? Little kittens were supposed to play outside, causing trouble, all the while smiling or laughing. They should not act this mature and care for the well-being of others.

"Well, then I guess we have to show him that he's not a burden to us," Tugger said.

"Easier said than done," Munkustrap replied. "He's so very shy and caring. I have the feeling he will do everything to please me … and you too, now that he knows that you're no big mean cat."

Munkustrap chuckled slightly and Tugger smiled. It was their usual bantering, one of them taunting the other. They only did this when they were alone. Others would be surprised to see them like this. In front of the rest of the Jellicles they acted the way it was expected of them: Tugger being the lady's cat, all the time acting cool, and Munkustrap being the protector of the tribe, always calm and serious. They never fooled around and seemed to dislike each other although in fact it was quite the opposite.

"I still wonder where he got those burns from, though. It's not like there's over a thousand possibilities for a cat to burn their front paws," Tugger said frowning.

"We can ask him when he wakes up," Munkustrap suggested. "We must talk to him anyhow about moving in with Bomba and the other kittens."

Tugger looked sceptically at Munkustrap.

"You're not serious, are you?" he asked. "Munk, you can't give him to Bomba, or to Jelly, or to anyone for that matter. He will think that you don't want him, that you abandon him just like his mother has done."

"But I'm not a father, Tugger," the tabby argued. "Take a look around. This den is not made for raising kittens," Munkustrap gestured exasperated at the walls of the dish washer.

"Well, then we have to find you a new one," Tugger replied with a smirk.

"Yeah, great," Munkustrap said sarcastically. "You know, that still doesn't make me a good or even remotely suitable parent."

"Oh come on, Munk. How hard can it be? We'll manage."

Munkustrap looked doubtfully at his brother and tilted his head to the side, all the while raising an eyebrow.

"We?" he asked pointedly.

"Yeah, what did you think?" Tugger replied indignantly. "That I leave you alone with this little fur ball? – Okay, don't answer that."

Munkustrap smirked and waited for his brother to continue.

"Of course I'll help you," Tugger said sincerely. "The little kit needs all the love he can get after what you've told me. And he loves us already. You can't just give him away, Munk."

Tugger looked with eyes full of expectation at his brother who pondered all those things for a moment before he sighed and glanced at the slightly younger tom.

"I know you're right, Tugger, I really do. It's just - I fear I can't give Quaxo what he needs." Munkustrap hung his head and stared at the floor in distress. A moment later a paw was laid onto his shoulder and he lifted his head to look into the serious face of his otherwise playful brother.

"Munk, trust me: You are everything Quaxo needs," Tugger said earnestly. "Well, maybe a bit of me, too, but you are the one who saved him. I don't think he will ever trust anyone to the extent he already trusts you. And he wouldn't go to any other cat anyway so you don't have much of a choice."

Tugger grinned and Munkustrap smiled rolling his eyes and hugging his brother spontaneously.

"I guess so … Thank you, Tug. Or should I say: Uncle Tuggy?"

Tugger slapped him playfully and both toms started to laugh. It was cut short, however, as a tiny sleep-filled voice asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Quaxo's head was tilted to the right and with his sleepy expression he looked absolutely adorable. Tugger went over to the small tux and ruffled the fur on his head.

"Only about Munkustrap being dull … ow!"

Munkustrap had given his brother a whack on the head and smiled now at the confused looking Quaxo.

"Did you sleep well?"

Quaxo nodded shyly and it took him a moment before he mustered up the courage to actually ask the tabby something.

"Munkus?"

"Hm? What's wrong?" Munkustrap instantly became serious again and concentrated on the little black-and-white cat thinking that he hurt somewhere.

"May I … may I drink something?"

Tugger and Munkustrap quickly exchanged a worried glance before Tugger pushed the green bowl towards Quaxo and Munkustrap said, "Of course, little one. Why do you ask?"

The tux looked first at Tugger and then at Munkustrap, confusion and apprehension clearly written in his eyes.

"I'm not supposed to," came the quiet reply.

Quaxo shivered all over and the silver tabby looked alarmed at his charge.

"What are you not supposed to do?" he asked and pointed towards the green bowl. "Quaxo, this is your bowl and you are free to drink something whenever you're thirsty."

The tux mumbled something inaudible and with a gentle look in his eyes Munkustrap walked over to him and lifted his chin so that he could look him in the eyes.

"I can't understand you if you talk into your paws."

To his and Tugger's horror the deep brown eyes quickly filled with tears that slowly started to fall. Munkustrap did the only thing he could think of at that moment and pulled the disturbed kitten into an embrace.

"I always h-had to wait until everyone w-was done with drinking – U-until Mom allowed me to," Quaxo started to explain while he sobbed into the silver fur of the tabby. "I w-was always the last o-one and I … I never had my own b-bowl."

"Shh, it's okay," Munkustrap said softly. "Things are different here. You will never again have to wait when you want to drink some water. I promise, little one, I promise."

Munkustrap tightened his arms around the shivering kitten and closed his eyes, surpressing his own tears. Tugger smiled upon seeing his brother comforting Quaxo and knew that the silver tabby would make a very good father. The only thing he wondered about was why Quaxo had not reacted like this when he had drunken out of his bowl for the first time, a few hours ago before he had fallen asleep. He figured the little cat had been too tired to realize it at that moment since the visit at Jenny's had been pretty strenuous and exhausting for him.

"Now go on, drink something." Munkustrap smiled gently as he let Quaxo go and nudged him in the direction of his green bowl. After one last careful look at Tugger the small tom began to slowly drink the water. Munkustrap gazed sadly at his charge. He did not want to know what other things had gone wrong in the young life of this loveable kitten. It pained him to see Quaxo so anxious and insecure.

Looking outside he realized that it was nearly dusk. Old Deuteronomy would be joining the tribe in a few minutes.

"Tugger?" he asked. "Can you tell Old Deuteronomy that we need to talk to him? I don't want Quaxo to go outside to be fussed over by all the queens. He is frightened enough as it is."

Tugger nodded and stood up gracefully. "No problem. I'll be back with the old guy in a moment."

"Thanks."

Tugger went outside and Munkustrap turned his attention back to Quaxo, wiping a few tears away in the process. The kitten was done with drinking and had snuggled up to the tabby after making sure that it was okay to do so.

"Old Deuteronomy will come soon, Quaxo," Munkustrap began to explain. "He is the leader of the Jellicles and it is his decision whether someone joins our tribe or not. But you don't have to be scared of him. He's very nice."

Quaxo only nodded and snuggled even closer to Munkustrap who just shook his head fondly and nuzzled the small kitten.

_"I believe it is Old Deuteronomy …"_

The words were sung by the many cats in the junkyard and Munkustrap laid a reassuring arm around the timid tux.

"Do not fear. Everything will turn out alright," he whispered softly as he turned his gaze to the door.

**TBC**


	5. Brave Decision

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1042

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Chapter 05:**** Brave Decision**

Munkustrap felt the small kitten beside him shiver. He did not like the idea of putting him under even more stress, but it was important for Quaxo to meet Old Deuteronomy as soon as possible. Although the tabby knew the leader of the Jellicles would most likely welcome Quaxo with open arms into the tribe he could not help feeling a little bit anxious. He smiled slightly as it became clear to him why he was feeling that way: The little tux had already captured his heart. Even after only spending such a short time together it seemed impossible to imagine a life without Quaxo in it.

"Munkustrap."

The silver tabby turned his gaze to the door while Quaxo tried to hide behind him, still tense and shivering slightly. An old grey cat stood in the narrow entrance and almost blocked out the last rays of the sun. He walked in when Munkustrap bowed his head, acknowledging their leader. Tugger appeared a moment later, after making sure that everyone was minding their own business outside.

"Father, thank you for coming inside," Munkustrap said. "I am sorry for the inconvenience."

"It is quite alright, Munkustrap, no harm done," Old Deuteronomy replied. "Mind telling me the reason for this rather unusual meeting though?"

A friendly smile was on the old cat's face which Tugger und Munkustrap took as a good sign.

"He's a bit shy," Munkustrap offered as an explanation.

"He?" Deuteronomy inquired and Munkustrap nodded, standing up. The little kitten hiding behind him was revealed and fearful dark eyes stared up at the strange cat he had not met before. Immediately, he crawled closer to his protector again, seeking solace and burying his face in the silver-striped fur. When he saw the distressed expression on the tux's face, Tugger walked up to his brother and sat down on Quaxo's other side, gently nuzzling his head in a comforting way.

"Oh, I see," Deuteronomy said and smiled knowingly.

"It's okay, Quaxo. This cat is the one I told you about. Remember? The Jellicle leader?" Munkustrap whispered reasurringly. Quaxo kept his head buried in the tabby's fur.

"I take it your name is Quaxo then, little one," Deuteronomy said gently and Quaxo nodded, still afraid and not looking at the old tabby. Tugger took it upon himself to relieve the little cat of the attention.

"Munkustrap found him in the rain yesterday night. He was alone and so he brought him here," he clarified.

"Do you have any idea where his parents could be? We must take him back to them," Old Deuteronomy said, his expression serious.

Munkustrap shook his head and gazed sadly at the wise leader. "His family abandoned him, father. He has nowhere and no one to go back to. Quaxo wasn't wanted anymore."

Silence filled the dishwasher and everyone was surprised when a tiny tearful voice asked timidly, "Will you send me away?"

Old Deuteronomy looked the little cat in the eye and was amazed by the unusual wisdom he saw there. It was obvious that the tux had been through much more than any other kitten in the junkyard. The old cat feared that he would always be a little different from the others.

"No, I will not. You are welcome to stay here, little Quaxo," Deuteronomy finally said and would have laughed out loud at the joyful faces of his two sons had the situation not been that serious.

"Really?" the shy tux asked quietly, not quite believing.

"Really," Old Deuteronomy assured. "Welcome to the Jellicle tribe, Quaxo."

Tugger and Munkustrap hugged the kitten and mouthed a 'thank you' to their father and leader. Both of them were relieved that Quaxo was officially allowed to stay.

"There is another thing I have to talk to you about," Munkustrap began hesitantly after he had released Quaxo of his hug.

"And that would be?"

"I don't want Quaxo to stay with Bomba and the other kittens. I want him to stay with me."  
Munkustrap's serious expression took the Jellicle leader a little aback.

"Why?" the old cat asked. "You know that Bomba and Demeter take good care of them. And Jelly and Jenny would most certainly also take him in if you would ask them to."

"Yes, I know that," Munkustrap amended. "But Quaxo is not like the other kittens. He doesn't trust easily and, he already clings to Tugger and me. We have decided, should Quaxo be allowed to stay, that we take it upon ourselves to raise him. He would only freak out if we send him to someone else."

"Well, if that's what he wants, then it's alright with me, I guess." Old Deuteronomy looked inquisitively at the little tux who was currently clinging to Tugger. "Do you want to stay with Munkustrap, Quaxo?" he asked.

Quaxo nodded and Old Deuteronomy looked once more at the faces of Tugger und Munkustrap, both full of expectation. The wise leader sighed. "It is not an easy task you have given yourself, that's for sure. But I see your point and I believe that you will manage. Do not hesitate to ask one of the queens for help, though, if there are problems, and I am sure there will be. Has Quaxo been introduced to the tribe yet?"

Tugger und Munkustrap shook their heads.

"No, we didn't think it would be a good idea," Tugger explained, all the while stroking the midnight black fur of the shaking kitten softly.

"Then he will be introduced to them tomorrow morning," Old Deuteronomy decided. With that said, he stood up and began to walk to the door.

"Thank you, father. For everything," Munkustrap said as he stood up as well to bow in respect.

"You're welcome," Old Deuteronomy said kindly. "I am sure you two will do a good job. You must know I am very proud of you. It is a brave decision to raise a kitten."

One last smile and Old Deuteronomy stepped out into the daylight to be greeted by several curious eyes. But Munkustrap saw nothing of it. He had turned around and was now looking at Quaxo who slowly let go of Tugger.

"Hey, welcome to the tribe, little one," he smiled and enveloped Quaxo in a gentle hug.

**TBC**


	6. Brown Mouse

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1366

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Chapter 06: Brown Mouse**

The next morning came bright and early and neither Munkustrap nor Tugger was looking forward to it. There was the problem of finding a new home big enough for a small family and they were both afraid of how meeting the tribe would affect Quaxo. Judging by his reaction yesterday he did not like big crowds where all the attention was focused on him. 'Maybe,' Munkustrap thought as he licked Quaxo's face to wake him up, 'he feels uncomfortable because no one ever bothered to notice him enough.'

"Hey, sleepy head. Good morning," Munkustrap smiled as he watched Quaxo opening his eyes. The young cat stretched, mindful of his paws, and looked at the tabby.

"Good morning," he replied, still a bit shyly. Before Munkustrap could say something Tugger strode into the den with a nervous smile that looked out of place on his face.

"Morning, Quaxo, Munk. Guess who's out there?"

"By the sounds of it the whole tribe," Munkustrap guessed. Tugger only nodded and Munkustrap tiredly closed his eyes. "It seems we can't delay this any longer, hm?"

"Nope, I don't think so, Munk. Have you told him?" Tugger nodded to Quaxo who cautiously drank some water from his bowl, looking like he was expecting someone to tell him to stop.

"No, I haven't. I tried yesterday but he was too tired." Munkustrap turned to Quaxo with a smile and said, "Hey, little one, how are your paws?"

Quaxo seemed to consider his answer before he replied, "A bit better. I think I can walk. Why?"

Munkustrap and Tugger exchanged a look.

"Because we have lots of plans for today, right Munk?" Tugger looked expectantly at his brother.

"Right," Munkustrap said, "Would you like to go outside, Quaxo? We need to find a bigger home today."

Quaxo shrugged, and Munkustrap realized that the kitten was trying to be brave.

"And there are a few cats who would like to meet you," Tugger continued and both he and Munkustrap could see Quaxo going tense. This was not going well.

"M-meet me? Why?" Quaxo asked, staring at them with wide brown eyes.

Munkustrap could see how frightened the young tom was just thinking about going outside. He nuzzled Quaxo's head reassuringly and said, "Because you are very special and they are curious about our new family member and would like to welcome you to the tribe."

"It's not much, really. We just go outside and say hello and when you want to leave we go back inside, alright?" Tugger added. He could see Quaxo looking doubtfully at the two of them. The little tom still did not seem to be inclined to meet the others and Tugger could very well understand that after what the kitten had gone through. But Old Deuteronomy had told them that Quaxo was to meet the tribe today and they could do nothing about that except try to make it less frightening for Quaxo.

"And you won't be alone," Munkustrap reassured. "Tugger and I will go with you, stand by your side and be there for you. You don't have to be afraid. They are all very nice cats and we also have a few kittens not much older than yourself right now, so maybe you'll find someone to play with. How does that sound?"

Quaxo thought this over and then timidly asked: "You will really stay with me? The whole time?"

"Of course we will, little one," Munkustrap replied and hugged his protégé. Quaxo then nodded shyly and Tugger and Munkustrap took this as a sign that it was okay for them to go outside now.

The sun blinded them for a moment and the cats in the yard immediately went quiet as they saw the three toms emerge from the dishwasher. Tugger felt their eyes on the three of them and even though he was not the centre of their attention he could tell how uncomfortable Quaxo had to be at the moment. The little tom was hiding partly behind Munkustrap and peering out cautiously behind the tabby's leg.

Munkustrap nuzzled him once more before he raised his voice. "Good morning to you all," he addressed the tribe. "I am sure we all know why you're here and I beg you to have a little bit respect for our new tribe member and give him time to adjust to the way things are around here. Quaxo is not used to so much attention and is easily frightened as you can see. He went trough a lot and although he is not our own kitten by blood I want all of you to treat him as if he were because I certainly think of him as family."

Munkustrap paused for a moment and looked at the expectant faces staring up at him. He sighed, seeing the eager faces of the other kittens right in the front row trying to get a good glimpse of Quaxo. He turned to the tux and quietly asked, "Now, Quaxo, do you want to say hello?"

Quaxo looked unsure, but after an encouraging nod from Tugger he came slowly out of his hiding spot and shyly said, "Hello …"

The other cats immediately smiled and chorused a greeting for the young cat who quickly hid behind Munkustrap again. The tabby smiled fondly and once again addressed the other tribe members, "Thank you all for the warm welcome. We appreciate it but I think Quaxo should now get his well-deserved rest."

With these words Munkustrap left with Quaxo while Tugger remained outside to explain a bit more about the new member of the tribe. The little cat was definitely tired and still confused about the whole situation but Munkustrap thought he had done very well. He draped one fluffy blanket over Quaxo and looked at him with pride shining in his eyes.

"This was really brave of you, Quaxo. I'm very proud of you."

Quaxo's white cheeks started to redden and Munkustrap realized with a jolt that Quaxo was blushing. He could not hide his amused smile although Quaxo did not seem to notice.

"Thank you, Munkus," the small kitten mumbled.

"You're welcome, little one. Did you see the other kittens? They are really eager to meet you. Do you want to meet them?" Munkustrap asked.

"Maybe," Quaxo replied, unsure.

Tugger chose that moment to enter the dishwasher with a smile on his face.

"I think their curiosity is satisfied for now," he said to Munkustrap and then turned to Quaxo. "I have something for you, kid. Here." He gave Quaxo a small brown plush mouse. The little tux looked surprised at the furry mouse and then stared questioningly at Tugger.

"A young kitten gave it to me," Tugger tried to explain, "His name's Tumblebrutus. He wanted you to have it so you would never have to be alone again. It's his favourite one, you see."

Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap could see that he was very moved by the present. The little tom carefully took the mouse into his bandaged paws and gently cradled it against his chest.

"Tell," he started and paused for a moment, "Could you tell him 'thank you', Tugger?"

Both Munkustrap and Tugger heard the rephrasing of the sentence but decided not to say anything about it. There would be enough time for Quaxo to learn that he did not always have to ask for things.

"I think you can thank him yourself when you see him again. We will go look for a place to live after you took a nap so you'll probably meet him then. Alright?"

Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap pulled the blanket tighter around him.

"Okay, now that that's settled I think it's time for that nap Tugger mentioned. We'll be here when you wake up."

Quaxo obediently closed his eyes and was asleep within a few seconds.

"He really is tired out, isn't he?" Tugger observed as Munkustrap curled around Quaxo.

"Yes, he is," the tabby agreed. "This was really hard for him, although I think young Tumblebrutus did make this a lot easier for all of us."

The brown mouse was still held firmly between Quaxo's paws when Tugger left the den half an hour later.

**TBC**


	7. Welcome Home

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Being a conjuring cat isn't a gift. Quaxo should know. All magic ever brought him was pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life when he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munkustrap stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1479

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hello everyone! This story is back *smiles* For a while there I kind of lost my inspiration for continuing it but then, three weeks ago, I saw Cats once more in Hamburg and was again captivated by this beautiful musical and took this as a sign to start work on this story once more. I went through the old chapters and changed a few things. Nothing huge, but a lot of rephrasing and such went on. I think it now reads a lot more fluently and has overall improved and I hope you see it the same way.  
I want to take this chance to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this ff so far. I know I have kept you all waiting for years and you all probably thought that I have given up on it. If I had, this story would have been taken down from the site a long time ago. Maybe some of you are still around and like to give it another read.  
In the end, I'd love to get some constructive criticism, and reviews are always loved. *smiles* I hope you enjoy this new chapter!

**Chapter 07: Welcome Home**

Tugger returned about two hours later with a couple of mice dangling from his mouth. He grinned at Munkustrap when the tabby raised an eyebrow. "Figured you'd be hungry," he explained after dropping the mice onto the floor. "The fur ball could use some food, as well. He's just skin and bones, as it is. That can't be healthy."

Munkustrap nodded and stretched elegantly, careful not to rouse Quaxo from his sleep. He padded over to his brother and hungrily ate one of the mice.

"Does it surprise you?" Munkustrap asked after he had finished the mouse. "He probably only ever got the few scrapes of food his family left over. And he wouldn't have asked for more. You know that."

Tugger sighed. "Yeah, poor kid. Just imagine growing up like that, always going hungry and being last in line." He shook his head in disgust.

"Well," Munkustrap said when he finished his second mouse, "Sadly, not all cats value their kittens above anything else. I would willingly hunger just so that Quaxo or any other kitten would have enough to eat."

"His mother clearly felt different," Tugger mumbled and glared at the wall as if Quaxo's mother would appear there any minute. Instead, Quaxo's fluffy head peeked out of the blankets with a yawn and both Tugger and Munkustrap chuckled at the sleepy expression on the kitten's face.

"Hey there, sleepyhead." Munkustrap smiled and nuzzled Quaxo's head.

"I hope you're hungry," Tugger said and dangled a mouse in front of the young tom.

Quaxo stared at the mouse for a moment before he lowered his head. Tugger frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "You do like mice, right?"

Quaxo's eyes turned wide. "I do," he said hurriedly. "It's just ... m-my Mom – the mice she brought me were usually smaller. And it was d-difficult to eat them. I-I don't think I can ..." he trailed off and looked down at the floor ashamed. Munkustrap felt something clench painfully in his chest.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly and tilted Quaxo's chin up gently with his front paw. "We'll bite off small pieces for you."

"It's no big deal," Tugger added. "We do it for all the kittens."

"Really?" Quaxo asked.

"Really," Munkustrap smiled encouragingly. "Sometimes we give them small pieces of mice, other times we mash them so the mice are easier to eat, especially for the younger kittens. Just like the stuff Jelly gave us for you to eat yesterday."

Quaxo nodded and watched in awe as Tugger bit off piece after piece from one of the dead grey mice and laid them into the blue bowl. When he was done Munkustrap gently nudged Quaxo in the direction of the food.

"Go on, eat, little one," he said.

Tugger grinned at his brother in triumph when Quaxo ate piece after piece with obvious appetite.

"Want more?" Tugger asked when Quaxo had finished the last piece. The young kitten shook his head and Munkustrap pushed the green water bowl in front of him before he ate the remaining mouse himself. Quaxo drank just after a moment's hesitation and both Munkustrap and Tugger considered this a small victory.

"So," Tugger declared after he had licked the fur under Quaxo's mouth dry, "I was strolling around the junkyard earlier and I think I may have found the perfect home for you."

"What is it?" Munkustrap asked, intrigued.

"Well," Tugger said with a grin, "You've probably already seen it on one of your patrols. It's the old wardrobe just around the corner, far enough away from the centre of the junkyard that the others won't bother you all the time but still close enough that someone can be there in no time if you need help. Sounds good, huh?"

Munkustrap looked at Quaxo. "It does sound good, doesn't it?"

Quaxo shrugged. "I like it here," he said quietly.

"Oh, me too," the tabby laughed. "But it's a bit of tight fit, don't you think?"

Quaxo looked over his shoulder at his brown toy mouse. "C-can I take it with me?"

"Of course you can, kiddo," Tugger said immediately, wondering briefly if Quaxo had been forced to leave a favourite toy behind at some point in his life – or if he ever had a favourite toy to begin with. "In fact, if you two approve of my choice we'll bring everything over to the wardrobe: your mouse, the blankets and pillows, and your bowls, of course."

"So," Munkustrap said, "Want to go check it out? We'll be with you every step of the way, I promise."

Quaxo nodded and together the three of them left the dishwasher. The sun was shining brightly when they stepped outside. Various cats were lying around lazily, letting the sunshine warm their furs. A few eyes stared curiously at them when they crossed the yard but no one came over and bothered the three toms for which Munkustrap was glad.

They rounded the corner and left the centre of the junkyard behind them. Huge piles of old electronics hid them from view now and, just as Tugger had promised, they could see the wardrobe a few metres ahead. It was bigger than Munkustrap remembered it und looked in good shape. They walked up to it and together with Quaxo the grey tabby peered inside. There was enough room for four cats in there, it was dry and provided enough protection from unwanted eyes.

Munkustrap turned around and looked at Tugger who was grinning smugly. "You're right," he said. "It's perfect."

Tugger's grin grew brighter. "Who's the king of the junkyard?" he asked jokingly and Munkustrap rolled his eyes.

Instead of answering Tugger he asked Quaxo, "What do you think?"

"It's so big," the small kitten said in awe. "May I go inside?"

Munkustrap closed his eyes briefly, wishing Quaxo would not always ask so politely when he wanted something.

"Sure you can," he replied and watched as Quaxo tentatively explored his new home, curiously staring at the high walls. He turned back to Tugger. "I think we're staying."

"Good," Tugger said. "I'll go get your stuff, then."

Munkustrap stopped him by laying a paw on his shoulder. "You don't have to do this."

Tugger smirked at him. "I know," he agreed. "But like I've told you: We're in this together. The least I can do is make sure the two of you are comfortable in your new home. Also," he added, "I don't think Quaxo should walk all the way back and forth again. It's not good for his paws."

Munkustrap shook his head and smiled fondly. "Since when have you become so wise and responsible?"

"Since you brought that impossibly cute fur ball with you," Tugger retorted with a playful grin. "It's your fault I'm getting soft. Don't think I won't blame you when I don't get the ladies anymore because of this."

The older cat chuckled and rolled his eyes. "I didn't expect anything less from you."

Tugger winked at him and ran back towards the centre of the junkyard while Munkustrap walked inside the wardrobe to check on Quaxo. He found the black-and-white kitten trying to climb onto the shelf in the corner and managed to catch him at his neck just as he was about to fall.

"Sorry," Quaxo said immediately. "I d-didn't mean to fall."

"I'm sure you didn't," Munkustrap said with a smile and sat him down on the shelf he was trying to reach. "Just ask for help next time. That shelf is too high up for you, especially with your bandaged paws."

Quaxo nodded and peered into the corners of the shelf.

"What are looking for?" Munkustrap asked.

Quaxo looked back at him, dark eyes happy and sad at the same time. "At home, I always had to sleep on the top shelf, and it was damp and mouldy." He wrinkled his nose. "I did not like it. This one here is nicer."

Munkustrap gently grabbed him at his neck and sat him back down onto the floor of the wardrobe.

"You know," he started, not knowing how to go about this new piece of information, "I would very much like it if you slept down here."

Quaxo stared at him with wide, questioning eyes. "Why? Mommy said clumsy kittens like me have to sleep on the shelves so that they learn not to be clumsy."

"Because," Munkustrap said, feeling sadness wash over him just thinking about Quaxo trying to climb an almost impossible height, "I feel safer when you're at my side."

"Me too," Quaxo whispered shyly as if he were sharing a secret. He moved closer to Munkustrap and buried his head in the tabby's chest. "Feel safe with you," he mumbled against the fur and a lump formed in Munkustrap's throat.

"You are safe with me, little one," he promised quietly and nuzzled Quaxo's head. "Welcome home."

**TBC**


	8. Clumsily Elegant

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1376

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! Thanks so much for your nice reviews! It's great to know that people still like this story years after I first published it. I can't promise you weekly updates since university life is keeping me fairly busy (the next field trip is in two days, for example) but I plan on finishing this story and there's still a long way to go =) Chapter 9 is already halfway written so it should be up in a week or two, depending on uni. But first of all, chapter 8. I originally wanted to add it tomorrow but seeing as I've written an exam today which went pretty well and am planning to book another ticket for a Cats show next month, I thought I'd treat you to a new chapter a day early. I hope you enjoy it as much as the previous chapters and will take the time to share your thoughts with me in a review ;-)

**Chapter 08: Clumsily Elegant**

They were sitting side by side when Tugger returned carrying various blankets and one of Quaxo's bowls. He flashed them a grin and turned back around, calling over his shoulder, "Be right back. Have fun decorating!"

Munkustrap watched him round the corner with an amused smile while Quaxo grasped the edge of one particularly fluffy orange blanket and tried to pull it into their new home.

"Here, let me help you," Munkustrap offered and together they manoeuvred the blanket into the wardrobe. They did the same with the second and third blankets and even though Munkustrap knew that it would go faster if he did it on his own he did not prevent Quaxo from helping. The young tom clearly enjoyed decorating their home, as Tugger had put it, and Munkustrap had no intentions of telling Quaxo to stop. He was glad for every little thing the small kitten did on his own.

Tugger came back carrying more blankets and pillows just as Munkustrap put Quaxo's bowl in the corner across from their sleeping place. The ladies' cat dropped them in front of the wardrobe, ruffled the black fur on Quaxo's head briefly and said, "One more run, then everything's here. By the way, Munk, you have way more blankets than any other cat in the junkyard, did you know that?"

Munkustrap shrugged, trying not to look embarrassed. "I like being comfortable."

Tugger gave him a look. "Even Gus doesn't have that many blankets and pillows, and you know his back pains him. You're such a wuss."

He stuck out his tongue playfully at Munkustrap and was gone again before the tabby could say anything to defend himself. Munkustrap shook his head and handed Quaxo the new blankets and pillows so that the black-and-white tom could arrange them to his liking in the wardrobe. After the last pillow he stepped inside and took a look at their sleeping corner. It looked almost exactly like it had in Munkustrap's old den. Everything was lying in the same order and Munkustrap was astonished that Quaxo had apparently loved it in the dishwasher so much that he had memorised the arrangement of the pillows and blankets. He wondered what other surprises the little tom held.

Quaxo though was looking at the floor again, obviously uncomfortable and afraid of Munkustrap's reaction. "I can do it differently, if you want," he said and scratched his ear nervously with one bandaged paw.

Munkustrap smiled at him. "Why?" he asked. "It looks very comfortable. You did great."

Quaxo looked up and smiled, and for a moment Munkustrap was taken aback by how different his protégé looked. 'Not different,' he thought. 'Just happy.' He knew in that moment that he would do anything to keep that shy uplift of lips on Quaxo's white face. With a playful grin, Munkustrap nudged the kitten onto the many soft blankets and started tickling him. Quaxo shrieked with laughter and tried to bat the tabby's paws away.

Munkustrap stopped a moment later when Quaxo had all but buried himself into the blankets while trying to escape the tickling, not wanting to exhaust the young tom. He sat down next to Quaxo who was trying to catch his breath and seemed unable to stop smiling. The small kitten grinned happily at Munkustrap and even though he knew that the tickling had not hurt Quaxo the tabby found himself asking, "Are you alright?" He nuzzled Quaxo's fur affectionately.

Quaxo nodded. "Are you ticklish, too?" he asked curiously, dark eyes wide.

"Oh yes," Munkustrap said. He winked before he continued in a hushed tone, "But don't tell anyone."

Tugger chose that moment to stick his head inside their home.

"Nice," he said appreciatively when he saw Quaxo's arrangement of the numerous blankets and pillows. He put the kitten's second bowl down next to the other and tossed one more blanket at Munkustrap. It hit him squarely in the face.

"That was the last one," Tugger declared smugly. "I am never ever helping you move your stuff again, Munk. Just so we're clear." He smirked and turned to Quaxo who was trying not to laugh as Munkustrap peeled himself out of the blanket. "There's someone waiting for you outside, kiddo."

"Who?" the black-and-white kitten asked. The smile was gone from his face, replaced by an apprehensive frown.

"How about you go outside and find out for yourself?" Tugger suggested. His head vanished and Munkustrap nudged Quaxo forward gently but encouragingly. Together, they stepped outside. A brown-and-white kitten was waiting nervously for them. He was slightly older than Quaxo and looked up at them with an unsure smile the moment they appeared.

Munkustrap smiled back at him. "Young Tumblebrutus," he said, "now that's a surprise."

Tumblebrutus blushed and waved shyly. "Hello, Munkustrap."

Tugger rolled his eyes. The kittens always got nervous around Munkustrap. It was clear to all the older cats that their young ones thought he was hero and idolized him. Not that they had ever seen him fight Macavity with their own eyes but they had certainly heard and made up stories that showed Munkustrap as an even greater hero than the Great Rumpus Cat. Tugger knew that Munkustrap hated those stories, so naturally he loved to tease his brother about them. Not this day, though.

"Tumble here wanted to meet Quaxo," Tugger explained when it was clear that Tumblebrutus would not say more. "I thought it a good idea."

Munkustrap nodded and, for the first time, noticed the small brown plush mouse between Tumble's paws. He smiled at the brownish kitten before he turned to Quaxo. "Why don't you say hello?"

He stepped aside so that Quaxo could no longer hide behind him. His young protégé looked uncomfortable but took a deep breath anyway.

"H-hello, Tum-" He stopped and furrowed his brow. "Hello, Tumbleblu- no. Tumble-" he tried again but after a moment he gave up. Quaxo looked down at his paws in embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"That's okay," Tumble said immediately with a bright smile. "My name is kind of long. You can just call me Tumble. Everyone does."

Quaxo looked up, relieved, and Tugger and Munkustrap shared an amused look.

"Hello, T-tumble," the black-and-white kitten said shyly. "I'm Quaxo."

"I know." Tumble laughed. "Here," he held out his paws, "I brought you your mouse."

Quaxo stared at the mouse but did not take it. Tumble frowned.

"What's wrong?" he asked, head tilted to the side. "Don't you like it?"

Quaxo shook his small head quickly. "I do. I really do," he assured. "But, it's your favourite. Don't you want it back?"

Tumble looked at him for a moment, then he laughed. "You're funny," he declared. "It was a present, so it's yours. Besides, I have other mice I can play with. You don't." With that he thrust the mouse into Quaxo's paws.

"Thank you," the younger kitten said earnestly and pressed the plush mouse close to his fluffy white chest.

"You're welcome." Tumble grinned. "Want to play?"

Quaxo looked uncertainly at Munkustrap.

"You can, if you want to," the tabby said with a smile. When Tugger nodded as well, Quaxo made his way slowly over to Tumble.

"How?" he asked after he had placed the mouse down.

"How what?" Tumble said, perplexed. "How to play?"

Quaxo nodded.

"Are you telling me you don't know how to play?" Tumble asked, not quite believing what he had just heard. Quaxo seemed to become smaller in front of him, so he hurriedly added, "That's no problem, I'll show you."

And he did. He spent the whole afternoon in front of Munkustrap's new den showing Quaxo how to pounce onto the mouse in different ways, trying and sometimes failing to look graceful which always resulted in Quaxo laughing and Tumble grumbling half-heartedly, but smiling as well. Tugger and Munkustrap watched them play the whole time. They lounged in the warm afternoon sun and felt very much like proud parents whenever Quaxo smiled or tried to mimic Tumble's movements. Even with his bandaged paws his pounces were elegant in a clumsy way and Munkustrap knew that, with a bit of practice and more self-esteem, Quaxo would steal the show from them all when he was older.

He already looked forward to it.

**TBC**


	9. Dream Telling

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1448

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Happy Easter, everyone! I thought this was a good occasion to upload chapter 09 for you guys. It took me quite a while to get it finished and I'm still not really satisfied with the way it turned out, but oh well. I hope you enjoy it anyway. That said, work on the next chapter won't start until next Friday since I've got an exam to study for. But, the good news is, next Saturday I'm going see Cats once again live and hopefully I'll get lots of inspiration for this story ^^

**Chapter 09: Dream Telling**

That evening, after taking Tumblebrutus home, Tugger came back to the wardrobe with more mashed mice from Jenny. While Quaxo ate hungrily he turned to Munkustrap.

"I stopped by Alonzo's den," he informed the tabby. "He wanted me to tell you that they have everything under control and that you don't have to worry about the safety of the junkyard."

Munkustrap winced. "I haven't even thought about my duties today," he admitted and sighed heavily. "I'm a terrible protector."

Tugger laughed. "You're not. Right, Quaxo? You feel safe around Munk here, don't you?"

The kitten looked up at them, head tilted to the side in confusion. "Of course," he said matter-of-factly.

Tugger smirked at his brother. "See? You do a brilliant job." When Munkustrap only rolled his eyes he added in a more serious tone, "No, really. You're doing great. We all understand that you have to reorganize your life now that you're sharing it with the fluffy fur ball here. Alonzo said you can take all the time you need before you start up your guard duty again. He just asks you to be present at the meetings."

"The next one is tomorrow at sundown, right?" Munkustrap asked. When Tugger confirmed that with a nod the tabby looked concernedly at Quaxo who was currently licking his bowl clean. "I'll need someone to stay with him."

Tugger pointed happily at himself.

"You?" Munkustrap asked playfully.

Tugger mock-glared at him. "I am wounded, Munk," he said theatrically. "Deeply wounded."

Munkustrap laughed. "Alright, alright. You have the job."

"Yes!" Tugger exclaimed with a happy grin.

They both turned around when Quaxo yawned widely.

"All that playing around tired you out, hm?" Munkustrap said affectionately.

"I'm not tired," Quaxo insisted. He yawned once more, causing the older cats to chuckle.

"Of course not," Tugger said solemnly.

"Come on, off to bed with you, little one." Munkustrap smiled when Quaxo pouted. "Tomorrow is another big day for you."

"Why?" Quaxo asked while he crawled obediently towards the blankets and pillows.

"Because," Munkustrap explained, "we're going to see Jenny and Jelly again. They have to take another look at your paws."

Quaxo shuddered and looked pitifully up at them. "Do we really have to?"

"Oh yes," Tugger said. "You want your paws to get better, don't you?"

"Yes," Quaxo admitted reluctantly. "But they don't really hurt that much anymore," he added in a hopeful voice.

Tugger laughed. "And Jenny and Jelly will make sure they stay that way. No getting out of that one, kiddo. Sorry."

Quaxo snuggled deeper into the blankets and stared at his bandaged paws sullenly.

"Maybe you can play with Tumble a little bit when your paws have been looked at," Munkustrap suggested in hope of cheering the kitten up. "He lives with Jenny, you know?"

"He does?" Quaxo asked. "I'd rather live with you," he declared a moment later with a serious expression on his face.

"I'm sure you do," Tugger said with a smile. "Now, time for sleep, fur ball."

"Night," Quaxo mumbled and closed his eyes. After a minute of lying still he opened them again and moved closer to Munkustrap. He buried his face into the tabby's chest fur and sighed happily before he fell asleep.

Munkustrap and Tugger shared a look.

"You know, he will probably ruin your mane when you look after him tomorrow," Munkustrap said with a teasing grin.

Tugger tried to look unimpressed. "There are numerous queens out there who would give their right leg to groom it perfect again."

"If you say so," Munkustrap said with a wink. He settled down carefully, trying to get comfortable. "But you do realize that if you let Quaxo touch your mane the other kittens will most certainly get wind of it and pester you until the end of your days?"

Tugger glared at him. "Bloody kittens," he muttered and, throwing one last grin over his shoulder, he left Munkustrap's den.

Munkustrap chuckled quietly. He nuzzled Quaxo's head once before he, too, closed his eyes and succumbed to sleep.

**CATS**

It was sometime around midnight that something startled Munkustrap awake. His dark grey eyes opened and scanned the entrance of the wardrobe for any attackers but found the den as secure as it had been when Tugger had left a few hours ago.

Next to him, Quaxo suddenly trembled, and at once Munkustrap's attention was solely focused on the small kitten. Quaxo had turned away from him at some point during the night and all the tabby could see was his shaking back. Munkustrap moved over so he could get a look at Quaxo's face which was partially hidden by the bandaged paws.

One look at Quaxo's curled-up position and scrunched-up face told Munkustrap everything he needed to know. The little kitten was having a nightmare, and when, a moment later, Quaxo whimpered a scared, "Mommy!" the tabby closed his eyes briefly in sympathy. This was what he had feared from the beginning on, that Quaxo would most likely be troubled by nightmares, but he had underestimated the effect it would have on himself. It pained him more than anything to see the little tux that distressed and without thinking about it he gently touched Quaxo's shoulder.

For a moment he thought that Quaxo's usually matted black fur glittered unnaturally in the dark but then Quaxo opened his eyes and stared at him wildly and Munkustrap could do nothing more than nuzzle the kitten's head reassuringly and mumble, "Everything's alright. It was just a bad dream."

Quaxo's whole body was tense for a moment but then he buried his head in Munkustrap's grey chest fur and held on for dear life. He did not sob or cry. The shaking, however, did not stop.

"Shh," Munkustrap whispered again and again, until Quaxo finally calmed down enough to cease the death grip he had on the tabby. He looked down at his paws, embarrassed, but could not bring himself to let go completely. Munkustrap smiled sadly at him. "Want to tell me about your dream?"

Quaxo shook his head.

"Are you sure?" Munkustrap asked. "Sometimes, it helps when you tell someone about the things that scare you."

"To be afraid is a weakness," Quaxo said in a monotone voice, as if reciting the sentence. He did not look Munkustrap in the eyes.

The tabby sighed. "Who told you that? Your mother?" When Quaxo nodded he went on, "You know, that's not true. Everyone is afraid of something and sometimes, it's good to be scared of things. Like Pollicles."

Quaxo stiffened in his arms. "Are you afraid of something?" he whispered.

"I'm scared of a lot of things," Munkustrap admitted. "I'm afraid that someone of the tribe will get hurt because I'm not doing my duty, or that something will happen to you and I'll lose you."

Silence reigned in the wardrobe for a moment until Quaxo said quietly, "I dreamt of the night m-my Mommy left me. There – There was a Pollicle and, and she ran away and the dog ran after her and it almost had her. I was so scared."

"What happened then?" Munkustrap asked gently.

Quaxo shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. Everything w-went bright and then the dog was gone and she took me and brought me to the b-box."

"Where I found you later," Munkustrap surmised and Quaxo nodded. Suddenly he let go of Munkustrap and stared at his paws with wide eyes before curling around them. Munkustrap looked at him worriedly. "What's wrong, Quaxo?"

"My paws hurt again," Quaxo said and he looked at Munkustrap with confused eyes that quickly filled with tears.

Munkustrap lay down next to him and carefully examined both front paws. He was relieved to see no blood coming through the bandage. "We'll go to Jenny first thing in the morning," he promised Quaxo. The kitten nodded and shifted closer to Munkustrap.

"Do you remember how you hurt your paws?" the tabby asked after a while when it became clear that Quaxo had trouble getting back to sleep.

The little tux shook his head. "I don't know. They just hurt really badly suddenly. I'm sorry."

Munkustrap nudged his head affectionately. "You don't have to be sorry you don't remember. It's okay. The only thing that matters is that we get your paws healed so that you can play with Tumblebrutus and the others properly."

Quaxo smiled shyly at him. "I'd like that."

"Me too," Munkustrap said, smiling back at him.

The den became quiet and slowly, after some time, Quaxo's breathing evened out. It was only then that Munkustrap allowed himself to fall into a restless sleep filled with bright lights and the smell of burnt fur.

**TBC**


	10. Dreaded Visit

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:**Ailendolin

**Rating:**T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:**I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1955

**Warning:**Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hey guys! Sorry for the late update, university life has been crazy. And I was a bit preoccupied by seeing Cats live a couple more times, finding new favourite characters that I never really noticed before. I absolutely love the German Cast! That said, I really enjoyed writing this chapter even though nothing much happens *lol* I already have some plans for the next chapters and hopefully they will not take as long to write as this one. Have fun reading! And thank you all for your reviews!

**Chapter 10: Dreaded Visit**

Quaxo woke up early the next morning. Munkustrap was already awake and gazing down at him with a slightly worried expression.

"Good morning, little one," the tabby greeted. "How do your paws feel?"

Quaxo stared down at them sullenly. "They hurt, a little," he admitted. "But not as bad as last night. It's just a dull throbbing now. Oh, and good morning to you, too," he added as an afterthought, smiling shyly.

"Well," Munkustrap said, trying for an encouraging smile in return, "I guess we should pay that visit to Jenny you're so looking forward to."

Quaxo grimaced. "May I drink something first?"

"Of course." Munkustrap pushed the water bowl towards Quaxo and watched as the kitten drank. When Quaxo was finished they made their way slowly across the junkyard to Jenny's den. The morning air was cool on their faces and the morning dew damp under their feet. Over the course of their short journey Quaxo's bandages became soaked and heavy. They saw no other cat about except for Plato who was standing guard on the big tire Old Deuteronomy usually resided on when he was in the junkyard.

"Morning, Munk!" Plato jumped down from the tire and greeted Munkustrap by nuzzling his head. "And little Quaxo!" he added, voice full of joy. "You two are up pretty early today. Lots of excited things planned, huh?"

"Just a visit to Jenny," mumbled Quaxo.

Plato laughed. "Okay, I admit, that's not really exciting. But I'm sure once she's done fussing over you Tumble will be wide awake and ready to play with you. Jenny almost couldn't get him to sleep last night because he kept talking about how much fun playing with you was and how happy he was that you liked his present and that you were his friend and so on."

Munkustrap raised an amused eyebrow when a smile appeared on Quaxo's face.

"I had fun, too," Quaxo said shyly. "I like playing with T-Tumble."

Plato grinned at him, ignoring Quaxo's slight stutter. "That's great! See, now you have something to look forward to."

Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap mouthed a quiet, "Thank you," to Plato as they crossed the last few meters to Jenny's den. Plato winked at him and jumped up onto the tire to resume his watch. Munkustrap knocked on the door and just a few seconds later it was opened, but not by Jenny as he had assumed. It was Tumblebrutus' smiling face that greeted them.

"Quaxo!" the young tom exclaimed. He nuzzled the black-and-white kitten affectionately before he turned his attention to Munkustrap. A little more solemnly he said, "Munkustrap, good morning!"

"Good morning to you, too, Tumble," Munkustrap replied. Just as he was about to add a question regarding Jennyanydots' whereabouts, the motherly queen appeared behind Tumblebrutus and ushered them in.

"I didn't expect you this early," she said once her visitors were seated comfortably. Tumblebrutus was hovering by Quaxo's side. "But it's just as well. Tumble here was so excited to see his new friend again that he barely slept this night. I don't think I have to mention that I didn't get much sleep, either," she added with a wry smile.

"Sorry," Tumble said with a sheepish grin.

Jenny waved a paw dismissively. "It was just as well. Gave me time to teach the mice some manners."

"You teach mice?" Quaxo asked, for a moment forgetting his wariness around Jenny.

"Oh yes," Jenny smiled, happy to have an audience. "They can be quite helpful with the housekeeping, once they're properly trained, of course. I'm planning to start teaching some cockroaches next. Maybe dancing."

Tumblebrutus rolled his eyes. "She's totally bonkers," he whispered.

Jennyanydots glared at him. "I heard that, you know?"

Tumble grinned. "I know."

Jenny shook her head, looking more fond than angry. "You'll be the death of me," she stated and tried once more to stare at Tumble sternly. After a moment, though, her resolve crumbled and she nuzzled his head briefly before she turned to Quaxo.

"And you're here because of your paws, right?"

Quaxo nodded and Munkustrap said, "They started hurting last night again, out of the blue. I don't think the wounds have reopened but maybe you could take a look at them?"

"And change the bandages," Jenny noticed. She started peeling the sodden material of Quaxo's front paws. At once a white mouse came out of nowhere and gathered the dirty bandages in her paws to carry them away. Quaxo watched her in fascination while Jenny just muttered a, "Thank you, dear," and turned Quaxo's black paw around in order to get a better look. Tumblebrutus peered over her shoulder curiously.

"You were right, Munkustrap," Jenny said when she had examined the other paw as well. "The wounds have not reopened. In fact, they're healing pretty nicely. I'll put some more cream on them to dull the pain and dress them again."

Another mouse appeared, grey this time, with his arms full of clean bandages. Jenny took them from him with a thankful smile.

"Do you have any idea why his paws started hurting again?" Munkustrap asked as he watched Jenny apply some salve as gently as she could onto the burn marks on Quaxo's paws. The kitten flinched slightly but held still. Tumble curled up next to him and laid a comforting arm across his back.

"Maybe he knocked them against something in his sleep?" Jenny guessed. "Or he overdid it yesterday while playing? I don't know. Could be a lot of reasons." She finished bandaging the paws and stared at them for a moment before she shouted for another pair of bandages. The grey mouse that brought the first ones hurried to her with more bandages in his arms.

"I'll bandage his paws twice, just in case," Jenny explained. "This way the bandages won't get soaked so easily and his paws are better protected when he's playing."

"Thank you," Munkustrap said. When Jenny was finished with the second layer he asked, "When do you want to take another look?"

Jenny seemed to ponder the question for a moment. Then she decided, "In two days." To Quaxo she said, "When your paws start to hurt again really bad, you come to me or Jellylorum sooner, alright?"

Quaxo nodded and tested his newly bandaged feet. His first few steps were wobbly but he regained his balance quickly.

"Can we go play now?" Tumble asked impatiently.

"Not so fast," Jenny said. "First of all you need to eat your breakfast. And by that I mean all of you." She looked pointedly at Munkustrap who found himself feeling like a young tom getting admonished by his mother. Not knowing what to say he settled on, "Breakfast would be nice."

He almost feared that Jenny would make her mice bring the breakfast in. There was something quite unsettling about mice carrying food that consisted of their dead brethren. Munkustrap had had that unpleasant experience once when he had dinner with Jenny and was not looking forward to repeat it. Luckily for him Jenny herself got the breakfast. When she came back into the main room she had four rats for herself and Munkustrap and several small mice for Tumblebrutus and Quaxo in her paws.

They ate in relative silence which gave Munkustrap the opportunity to observe Quaxo and Tumblebrutus together. It was endearing to see how Tumble picked out the smallest mice of their pile and laid them before Quaxo with the words, "Those are easier to eat." It warmed Munkustrap that Quaxo had already found such a good friend in Tumble who seemed naturally attuned to the tux's needs. Judging from the look on Jenny's face the Gumbie Cat found their interactions adorable as well.

Leaving the kittens to eat the rest of the mice alone Munkustrap and Jennyanydots ventured into the next room.

"You know," Jenny began, "That's a side of Tumble I rarely see. Quiet, and focused. From the way he acts around Quaxo you wouldn't believe that he was bouncing around the den excitedly just before you arrived, unable to sit still. It's remarkable."

"He's very careful with Quaxo," Munkustrap agreed. "I'm glad you let him play with him."

Jenny rolled her eyes. "He was fascinated by your charge the moment he saw him when Deuteronomy welcomed him to the tribe. It's hard enough to keep the other kittens from bothering you two, but with Tumble it's almost impossible."

Munkustrap smiled at her. Then, more seriously, he asked, "Is everything going smoothly with you two? I know you had a rocky start, but-"

Jenny interrupted him. "Everything's great, Munkustrap. Really. You don't have to worry about us. He's everything I could have wished for. I'm happy. We both are," she added. Her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"That's good," Munkustrap said, laying a paw on her shoulder. "I'm glad everything worked out for you two."

Before Jenny could answer they heard Tumble's voice calling from the next room. "Jenny? Can we go play now?"

She chuckled. "Will you take him with you to your den for the morning?" she asked.

"I don't think I have a choice," Munkustrap replied with a grin.

They went back into the main room only to find Tumblebrutus and Quaxo already waiting for them at the door, ready to go.

"I guess we'll be leaving, then?" Munkustrap said, amused.

"I guess you will," Jenny agreed. She went over to Tumble and tried to tidy up his messy fur, much to Tumble's horror.

"Jenny!" he whined. "Stop that. Please. It's embarrassing."

Jenny laughed. "That's the reason I'm doing it, love. Now, go on, have fun with Quaxo and don't get into too much trouble, alright?"

"Sure," Tumble grinned and hugged her briefly. Together with Quaxo who mumbled a shy goodbye he went outside into the morning sun, careful of the damp patches of grass on the ground. Munkustrap turned once more to Jenny and embraced her as well. "Thank you, Jenny. Again. For everything."

"You're welcome," she said, trying to hide a yawn. "You're doing me a favour by taking Tumble with you so I think we're even. Maybe now I can get some much needed rest."

"You do that," Munkustrap smiled and followed after the kittens who were sitting in front of the tire and staring up at Plato. The older tom was making faces at them, causing Tumble and Quaxo to laugh. Munkustrap chuckled quietly and sat down beside Quaxo and looked up. "When do you get relieved?" he asked.

Plato stuck out his tongue at the kittens before he stretched elegantly. "Soon," he said, trying to stifle a yawn. "Alonzo is supposed to take over, I think."

"Then I wish you a good rest," the tabby said. "I'll see you at sundown at the meeting."

Plato looked surprised. "Are you sure? Who's going to look after Quaxo?"

"Tugger will."

Plato laughed. "And another kitten that's going to be smitten with the Rum Tum Tugger."

"Hey!" Tumble said affronted on Tugger's behalf. "Tugger is cool!"

"Of course he is," Plato agreed with a wink at Munkustrap. "I would never dare say otherwise." His ears suddenly perked up and he sat up straight. "Ah, I believe that's Alonzo there. Time for me to get some sleep." He stood up and jumped down next to them. "Have fun today!" he told the kittens over his shoulder as he made his way across the yard where he met up with Alonzo. The black-and-white tom nodded once in Munkustrap's direction as way of greeting. Munkustrap returned it and then ushered his charges onward.

"Come on, you two. Time to go back to the den to practice some more pouncing. Tugger's probably already waiting for our return."

**TBC**

**A/N: **Hope you liked this chapter! More about Jenny and Tumble will come in chapter 11 in which I'll also introduce some more kittens (probably). Also, Plato is one of my new favourites from the German version, hence his appearance here. I found him staring at me quite often in the show and at one point standing on my shoulders which was quite lovely ^^  
Anyways, reviews are very much appreciated ;-)


	11. Until Now

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1501

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hello! The new chapter is finally here, telling you a bit more about Tumble's background, something that I've wanted to do for quite a while now. Next chapter will then (probably) feature the meeting of the guard, unless my creativity decides it wants to write about something else first *smile* Thanks to everyone who reviewed, marked this story as one of their favourites or has put it on alert! I hope you enjoy the eleventh chapter just as much as the other ones!

**Chapter 11: Until Now**

Tugger was not waiting for them when they reached Munkustrap's new den, much to the kitten's disappointment. They looked questioningly at Munkustrap.

"Most likely he's still asleep," the tabby guessed. "He likes to sleep in."

"Sleeping's boring," Tumble declared. "Being awake is much more fun! You can do so many things!"

As if to demonstrate his point Tumble did a somersault on the ground which looked only slightly wobbly. He grinned and bowed when both Munkustrap and Quaxo applauded him.

"What else can you do?" Quaxo asked, eyes bright and curious.

"Well," Tumble said, scratching his head, "I can walk on just my front paws for a bit, do a back somersault on the ground and I'm trying to learn backflips and somersaults in the air."

"Can I try?" Quaxo asked, looking at Munkustrap with pleading eyes.

The tabby shook his head, smiling sadly. "Not yet, little one. Wait until your paws are healed so they will carry your weight. Then you can do as much acrobatics as you like."

Quaxo nodded and turned back towards Tumble who shrugged.

"I can teach you then, if you like," he offered. "Maybe together with Pounci?"

"Who is P-Pounci?" Quaxo asked, stumbling slightly over the new and unfamiliar name.

"My best friend," Tumble answered with a bright and proud grin. "He's dying to meet you, Quaxo!"

Munkustrap smiled to himself at those words. He could vividly imagine how eager Pouncival was to meet his charge. Jelly probably had her hands full with him right now.

"Is he nice?" Quaxo asked uncertainly.

"Oh yes!" Tumble assured. "A little crazy, just like me, but very nice and funny."

Munkustrap very nearly snorted at that. Crazy was one way of putting it, he thought. Together, Tumblebrutus and Pouncival were nothing but troublemakers, always on the lookout for something exiting to happen. And, if nothing exciting happened on its own, they would find a way to make something happen that almost always not only entertained them but the entire tribe as well. He had a feeling that exactly those two young tomcats would become Quaxo's best friends. May the Everlasting Cat help him.

"Would you like to meet him?" Munkustrap asked Quaxo.

The black-and-white kitten shrugged. "Maybe?"

Munkustrap laughed when Tumble nudged Quaxo encouragingly. "Well, I think we can arrange something. Maybe this afternoon, or tomorrow. It's time for you to meet more tribe members, anyway."

"And to find more friends," a new voice added. They turned around to see the Rum Tum Tugger sauntering towards them, lips turned up in a lazy grin. Tumble's face immediately lit up with hero worship while Quaxo smiled shyly at him.

Munkustrap only rolled his eyes in amusement. "Slept late, haven't we?" he mocked.

"At least I don't have twenty cuddly blankets in my den, brother," Tugger retorted with a wink.

"Yeah, how lucky for us," Munkustrap said. "Otherwise you'd probably sleep right through the day and your fans wouldn't have anything to worship."

Tugger stuck his tongue out at him. "You're just jealous."

"Oh yes, of course." Munkustrap smiled at his brother in an exasperated way and motioned for him to greet the kittens who were waiting for him to acknowledge them.

"And how are you two little rascals today?" Tugger asked Tumble and Quaxo. "Did anything exciting happen already?"

"We went to Jenny's," Quaxo said. "She has mice in her den who work for her."

Tugger exchanged an amused look with Munkustrap, knowing full well how his brothers felt about Jennyanydot's mice.

"Did you like them?" he asked Quaxo.

"They were funny," the kitten said, remembering how the mice had carried the bandages. "I've never seen trained mice before."

"That's most likely because no one's nut enough to train them," Tumble mumbled wryly.

Quaxo shrugged. "I think they're brilliant."

Tugger left the kittens to their discussion about mice in favour of sitting down next to Munkustrap at the entrance of the den. They watched Quaxo and Tumble for a while in silence before Tugger commented, "Pretty early visit you paid Jenny there."

Munkustrap sighed. "Quaxo had a nightmare tonight, and his paws started hurting again. When he woke up this morning I thought it best to get them checked out sooner rather than later. Any anyway," he added with a nod in Tumble's direction who was currently trying to imitate one of Jenny's mice and failing miserably which made Quaxo laugh, "young Tumble there was already wide awake when we arrived."

"Which means that Jenny was also wide awake," Tugger concluded.

"Exactly." They shared a grin before Munkustrap went on. "She re-bandaged Quaxo's paws and luckily couldn't find any new damage. Apparently they're healing nicely."

Tugger frowned. "Why did they start hurting again, then?"

"No idea."

The sun rose higher in the sky and soon without anyone really noticing it was midday. Tugger left to do some hunting in the shadows of the junkyard while Munkustrap reclined in the cool shade of his den, always a watchful eye on the two kittens who did not seem to be bothered by the warm sun.

Tumble and Quaxo were lying in the open, basking in the warmth of the day and resting after a morning of playing around. They were talking quietly to each other, with Tumble telling Quaxo of all the adventures he had had so far with Pouncival.

"Just a few weeks ago," Tumble was telling, "There was this heavy snowfall, right?"

Quaxo nodded. The falling snow was the first thing he had seen when he had opened his eyes for the first time.

"So, naturally," Tumble went on, "Pounci and I wanted to play in it. We sneaked out and had the time of our lives! Jenny and Jelly found us eventually and wanted to take us home. What's a young cat to do, do you think?"

Quaxo shook his head. "I don't know. What?"

"Why, throw snowballs at them, of course! Even the older cats, you know, like Plato and Skimble and Demeter, joined and we were having a big snowball fight until everyone was drenched." Tumble grinned. "That was fun! Even though Jenny wasn't too pleased with some of the cats falling ill a few days later."

Quaxo smiled at him before his face turned serious in thought and he asked, "Why do keep calling your mother Jenny? Why not 'mom'?"

Tumble went still for a moment. Then he said softly, "Because Jenny is not my mother, Quaxo."

"She isn't?" Quaxo asked, not quite understanding. Munkustrap, from his position in the cool shade, sat up and listened to the conversation with a slightly worried expression. He knew that this topic was a sensitive matter for Tumblebrutus and he wanted to be ready to intervene, if necessary.

It was not necessary, however, because Tumble nuzzled Quaxo briefly and then laid his head with a sigh gently on the other kitten's front paws. "My real mother was taken away," he said, almost too quietly for Munkustrap to hear. "By bad men. She told me to hide and I watched her being carried off into a car. It was snowing and I waited for hours for her to come back and when she didn't I went out looking for her and somehow along the way I found my way to the junkyard. I've been living here ever since."

Quaxo looked shocked and Munkustrap sighed sadly. Too many cats of the tribe had sad stories like that one to tell.

"I'm sorry," mumbled Quaxo. He rested his head on top of Tumble's in what he hoped was a comforting gesture.

"It's alright," Tumble said. "Jenny was the one who took me in, and we had a rocky start even though she's been really great about all of this the whole time. It's just … it's too early for me to call her mom. Maybe one day I will, I don't know, but right now I'm still missing my real mom."

Quaxo nodded in understanding. "Me too."

And with that, the matter was closed and they talked no more about it. Munkustrap relaxed slightly, glad that both kittens had found someone in the other who understood what they had been through. Jenny would be happy to hear that Tumble had finally told someone his story – not because he had to, but because he wanted to.

Munkustrap still remembered the day when Tumblebrutus had stumbled upon Alonzo standing guard at the outskirts of the junkyard not that many months ago, drenched and shivering badly in the cold. How he had been brought to Old Deuteronomy and was more or less forced to tell his story, not wanting to be turned away and hoping that someone would look for his mother. They had, of course, but she had been long gone when they had reached the alley she had been taken from. Since then, as far as Munkustrap and Jenny knew, Tumble had not spoken about the events of that day.

Until now, Munkustrap thought with a contented smile and closed his eyes.

**TBC**


	12. Great Leader

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2249

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hi everyone! It's been quite a while since the last chapter and I'd like to apologize for that. The reason for the delay is that just after the last update I had exams coming up and after that I went on a field trip to Poland from which I only returned a week ago. I haven't given up on this story, I just haven't had any time to write something.  
Anyways, today's chapter is a bit longer than usual so maybe that makes up for the long delay. Or maybe not since not a lot is happening. But I promise that will change. I still hope you enjoy chapter 12 and will let me know if you did (or didn't). Thanks again to everyone who reviewed so far! You guys really are great!

**Chapter 12: Great Leader**

Tugger came back later that afternoon to find Quaxo and Tumble playing with a dust bunny. Munkustrap was watching them from a place in the cool shadow of the wardrobe and beckoned Tugger over.

"How are they?" Tugger asked as he lay down beside his brother.

"Great," Munkustrap replied. "They're forming a friendship pretty fast. I didn't expect that."

Tugger frowned. "Why not?" He watched as Tumble blew the dust bunny towards Quaxo who pawed at it playfully with his bandaged black paw.

"I don't know." Munkustrap shrugged. "I just didn't think Quaxo would open up so quickly. He's so shy and has been through so much. But, ironically, that's what he and Tumble bonded over."

Tugger's eyes widened. "Tumble told Quaxo about his past?"

"Yeah." Munkustrap nodded. "Quaxo asked why Tumble didn't call Jenny 'mother' and Tumble told him."

Tugger looked impressed. "Simple as that, huh? To think about all those times we tried to get him to talk about it and he never said a word …"

"I know." Munkustrap stood up and stretched. "I'm quite curious how Pouncival is going to figure into the equation."

"Pounci?" Tugger laughed. "Quaxo will love him, once he gets to know him. Everyone has a soft spot for Pouncival, troublemaker or not."

Munkustrap looked resigned. "You just can't stay mad at him, can you? No matter what he did. I have no idea how he does it."

Tugger smiled. "We all love seeing the kittens happy. Especially ones like Tumble or Pounci, who haven't had it easy. It's enough to forgive them their little pranks."

"It's like a gift," Munkustrap said, "that they can still be this carefree." His gaze drifted to Quaxo who tried to catch the dust bunny that the wind was trying to blow away. "Do you think Jemima will want to come meet Quaxo, too?"

"Oh, I bet she does." Tugger grinned. "It's not like she has someone else to play with. And even being my fangirl can get boring after a while." He winked.

Munkustrap shook his head. "You're impossible."

They were interrupted by a disappointed shout of Tumblebrutus. "Oh no, we've lost it!"

Munkustrap and Tugger both turned to look at the kittens who watched the dust bunny fly away over a pile of old electronic devices and out of sight.

"I guess that's our cue, Tumble," Munkustrap said and walked over to the kittens. "Time for you to go home and for me to go to the meeting."

He was met with two sets of disappointed eyes. "Can't we play a little longer? Please?"

Munkustrap could hear Tugger chuckling behind him and had to hide a smile. "No, Tumble. Tomorrow is another day where you can come over, together with Pouncival and Jemima."

Tumblebrutus wrinkled his nose. "Does Jemima have to come?"

Now Munkustrap could not help but smile in amusement. "Yes, if she wants to she can come."

"Who's Jemima?" Quaxo asked quietly but curiously, looking up at them.

Tumble just shook his head. "Don't worry about her. She's kind of Pounci's half-sister, only not. It's complicated. Worst of all, she's a queen." His body shuddered at the last word.

Tugger laughed. "Oh, believe me, Tumble, there'll come a time when you will be happy that queens exist and want to spend time with you. Very happy."

Both Tumblebrutus and Quaxo looked confused. Munkustrap turned around and glared at his brother. "I don't think this is the right time, Tugger," he said lowly. A bit louder he added, "Anyway, we've got to get going or I'll be late for the meeting." He bent down to Quaxo's level and nuzzled the kitten's head gently. "Tugger will be staying with you until I'm back, okay? Don't give him any trouble."

Tugger snorted behind him. "As if the furball could cause any trouble." Even Tumble nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, well, still." Munkustrap gave Quaxo another quick nuzzle. "Just go to sleep and when you wake up next morning I'll be there."

Quaxo looked at him intently. "Promise?"

"Promise," Munkustrap said with a smile. "Now go on, have dinner with Tugger and sleep well tonight." He turned to Tumblebrutus. "Come on, let's get you home to Jenny."

Quaxo nodded and went over to Tugger while Tumble reluctantly went with Munkustrap. Shortly before they vanished from sight Tumble and Munkustrap turned around and waved at Tugger and Quaxo who both waved back. Then they made their way into the junkyard. Admetus was standing guard and waved at them.

"Meeting's in a few minutes, Munk," he said and licked his right paw absentmindedly.

"I know," Munkustrap replied. "Just have to bring Tumblebrutus home, then I'll be there."

Jenny was already waiting for them by the time they made it to her den. She smiled brightly when she saw Tumble.

"How was your day?" she greeted him. "Did you have fun with Quaxo? I hope you didn't cause poor Munkustrap too much trouble." The Gumbie Cat winked at the tabby.

"Of course not!" Tumble said, slightly affronted. "Right, Munkus?"

Munkustrap laughed. "Right. They really were no trouble."

"Can I go tomorrow again, Jenny?" Tumble asked. "Please? Pounci and Jemima will be there as well."

"Well," Jenny said slowly, pretending to think. "Actually I think I need your help with training the mice …" She let the sentence hang and could barely suppress a grin when she saw Tumble's agonized look. After a moment she took pity on him. "But then again, one more day of fun's doing no one any harm. Of course you can go."

Tumble's whole face lit up and he ran to hug her. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you so much!"

Jenny laughed. "You're welcome, Tumble. Now, go clean up and then dinner will be ready."

Tumble nodded and with a cheery goodbye to Munkustrap he vanished. Both cats shook their heads.

"He really is something special," Jenny said with a fond smile. "Thanks for letting him come over."

"No problem, it's good for both of them. " Seeing Jenny's questioning look, he explained. "Tumble told Quaxo that you're not his real mother. I wish you could have been there, Jenny. He talked so freely about everything, and all Quaxo had to do was ask."

Jenny's eyes were suddenly shining and she stared unbelievingly at Munkustrap. "I can't believe it," she laughed and it sounded almost like a sob. "This is brilliant, Munkustrap. Really, really great. I thought we'd never see this day."

"You, me and the rest of the tribe, believe me." Munkustrap smiled. "Speaking of the rest of tribe, I'm afraid I can't stay any longer."

"Oh, right, today's a meeting," Jenny realized. "I'm afraid I don't keep track on them as well as I used to, now that I can almost never attend them. Well, go on then. No need to keep them waiting because of me."

Munkustrap nodded and turned to go when Jenny added, "Oh, should I bring Tumble and the rest over tomorrow?"

"If it's not too much trouble ..."

Jenny waved a paw dismissively. "Oh, please. It's not like I have anything better to do. The cockroaches are giving me headaches anyway. Uncooperative bunch," she mumbled.

Munkustrap grinned. "I'm sure you'll get them trained eventually."

"Yeah, well. We'll see," Jenny said with a grin. "I'll bring the kittens after breakfast. Is that okay?"

"Of course. See you tomorrow then!"

"Have fun at the meeting," she told him and then Munkustrap was on his way. The meeting place was just around the corner in front of an overturned battered car. When he arrived he could see that everyone except those standing guard around the junkyard was already there. Silence fell as he stepped onto the car.

"I welcome you to our weekly tribe meeting," he said, feeling dozens of eyes resting on him. "I'm sorry for being late."

"Is everything alright with Quaxo?" Plato asked, looking concerned.

Munkustrap smiled. "Everything's good, Plato. Thank you for asking. I'm late because I had to take Tumblebrutus home to Jenny first." Plato and several others nodded, so the tabby went on. "Alright, is there any news regarding Macavity's whereabouts?"

Alonzo stood up and looked at him. "Nothing, Munkus. It's been very quiet, no attacks whatsoever. Our borders are safe and guarded just as we discussed at the last meeting."

"Good," Munkustrap said. He knew that he could count on Alonzo to take Macavity's threat seriously. Too many cats were lulled into a sense of false security in times like these, when everything had been quiet and no attacks had happened for a while. Alonzo was not one of them, having lost his sister in one of Macavity's attacks a year ago.

"Is the new guard duty roster working out for everyone so far?" Munkustrap asked the tribe. Everyone nodded. "Okay," he went on. "When someone's not able to guard at the time they're given, please come to either Alonzo or me and we'll figure something out." After more nodding from the cats present he asked, "Are there any matters not regarding the protection of the tribe that need to be discussed?"

Most cats shook their heads, but Bombalurina stepped forward. Everyone looked at her.

"Yes, Bomba?" Munkustrap asked.

"I have a request, Munkus, from my half-sister," Bombalurina stated. "She lives in a house with a family and gave birth to three kittens a couple of weeks ago. Her family tried to sell them with no luck. Now they want to put the kittens down."

Shocked gasps could be heard in the yard. Munkustrap silenced the cats with a paw gesture. "Continue," he said to Bombalurina.

"I ask the tribe on behalf of my sister to take the kittens in. They have nowhere else to go."

Munkustrap sighed. He had feared that Bombalurina would request that. Alonzo and Skimble looked at him in concern.

"I know all of you want me to say yes to this request," Munkustrap began, "but I can't do that without making sure that the tribe can sustain three more kittens. First we have to find someone who can take care of them."

Bombalurina nodded. "I would be willing to take them in. I know I have no experience with raising a kitten, much less three, but they're my family and I'm sure I could manage with the help of the tribe."

Munkustrap still looked doubtful, so Bombalurina added, "And they're not that young anymore. Not yet grown-up, but old enough to stay on their own and to learn to hunt. In a few weeks they can lead their own lives with our help."

Skimble looked at Munkustrap. "I think we can manage with three more kittens," he told the tabby. "It's almost summer, and mice become easier to find with each day."

Alonzo nodded in agreement. "We lost so many cats in the last years, Munk. Every addition to the tribe is a blessing."

"You're right. Of course," Munkustrap said. "Ultimately, it's Old Deuteronomy you have to ask for permission, Bomba," he told the red queen. "Go to him tomorrow, and tell him that you have the tribe's and my consent."

"Thank you, Munkustrap," Bombalurina said gratefully and was hugged by her best friend Demeter.

"If Old Deuteronomy gives his okay, you're free to bring the kittens here as soon as you can. You can tell your sister that she can visit them whenever she wants," Munkustrap offered.

Bombalurina shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid that won't be possible. She's not allowed to go outside. That's why she isn't here herself, asking for help."

"Does she want to leave her home?" Munkustrap asked. "She's welcome to stay here together with her kittens. I think that would be the best solution, anyway."

Bombalurina laughed. "Oh no, she's no street cat. Her home is far too comfortable for her to leave it. She likes her humans … at least, most of the times."

"Alright," Munkustrap said. "After your visit to Old Deuteronomy, come find me or Alonzo and tell us his decision and we'll send some cats with you to get the kittens here safely."

"I will," Bombalurina promised.

Munkustrap looked at the rest of the cats. "Is there anything else that needs to be discussed?" When he was met with silence, he declared the meeting over and jumped down from the car.

"It's the right thing to do," Skimble said on their way home.

"I know," Munkustrap sighed. "Even if we didn't have enough food I would've said yes. I can't turn those helpless kittens away, just as I couldn't leave Quaxo lying in the rain. Still, I've got to at least appear to look rationally at this, otherwise I'm doing no one a favor."

Skimble smiled at him. "One day, you're going to be a great leader, Munkustrap."

The tabby lowered his head, embarrassed. They came to the corner where Skimble lived and their ways parted.

"Say hi to Jelly for me," Munkustrap asked Skimble. "By the way, Jenny's taking Tumble, Pouncival and Jemima over to mine's tomorrow. Just so you know."

Skimble laughed. "If you're not careful, your new home will become a daycare center for kittens."

"There are worse things than that that could happen," Munkustrap said with a smile. He bid Skimble goodnight and turned around the corner, ready to go to the one kitten who meant the world to him and for whom he would gladly give up his life, wondering what the next day would bring for Quaxo and his new friends.

**TBC**


	13. Yellow Wool

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word****Count: **1945

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author****'****s****Notes: **Again, I'm sorry for the delay. My laptop broke down and lectures started again. The last few weeks were pretty eventful but now things are quieting down and I've finally found the time to write. Also, my own Misto costume is almost finished. That took up a lot of my time as well. Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed on the last!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Yellow Wool**

When Munkustrap arrived at his den that night the Rum Tum Tugger was sitting in the entrance and gazing at the stars. When he saw his brother approach Tugger stretched lazily before he made his way over to the tabby.

"How's Quaxo?" Munkustrap asked at once. He glanced nervously at his den. "Is he asleep?"

"Yes," Tugger said slowly. "Finally. He's a terror, that one. Wouldn't stop crying once you left and threw a tantrum. Apparently he thought you'd left him for good."

Munkustrap's eyes went wide. "What? You should have brought him to me immediately," he said accusingly. When Tugger only grinned in response Munkustrap frowned. "You're having me on, aren't you?"

Tugger's grin became wider. "Got you!" he said.

"That's not funny."

"Aww, come on, Munk! You know the furball. I don't think he even knows how to cause trouble. Enjoy that while it lasts. With Tumble and soon Pouncival as friends, it'll come to an end quite soon, I'd wager."

Munkustrap glared at him. "Still, you shouldn't joke about that. You know I worry about him." He sighed. "So, he is asleep then, right?"

Tugger rolled his eyes. "Of course he is. Ate his mice like a good little kitten and then went to bed. I even told him a bedtime story." When he saw Munkustrap grimace he added, affronted, "I'll let you know that I'm very good at telling bedtime stories. Just ask Quaxo."

"I probably will," Munkustrap said. "Which one did you tell him?"

Tugger grinned evilly and batted his eyes at his brother. "The one about how Growltiger and Griddlebone found true love."

Munkustrap narrowed his eyes. "You didn't."

"Of course I didn't," Tugger said patiently. "I told him about the Everlasting Cat and the Jellicle Ball. He seemed quite enraptured by it, to be honest. He wanted to know if he could dance at the next ball."

Munkustrap chuckled. "Now that's something I'd like to see. Clumsy as he is now I think he'll grow up to be quite a graceful dancer, given time."

Tugger smirked. "The ladies will swoon all over him."

"Jealous?"

Tugger snorted. "Of the furball?" He shook his head. "Quaxo may be cute, but I'm sexy as hell. Sexy always trumps cute. No competition there."

"If you say so," Munkustrap said. "I think I'll better go check on the 'furball'. Get some sleep, Tugger."

Tugger nodded and stood before turning once more to his brother. "You never told me about the meeting. Anything exciting I should know about?"

"Well," Munkustrap said slowly, "it's likely we'll get three new additions to the tribe tomorrow. Kittens, to be specific."

"Didn't know you had it in you, Munk!"

"Ha ha," the tabby said drily. "They're the litter of Bomba's sister. Her humans want to put them down, so if father gives his okay they will come to stay with us. New fans for you, Tugger. You should be delighted."

"Oh, I am," Tugger assured. "The more kittens the better. Maybe even some little queens for Jemima to play with. I'm sure Dad will allow them to stay with the tribe."

Munkustrap nodded. "The kittens will most likely be brought here tomorrow. Care to help Bomba get them?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Good," the tabby said. "Then I guess we should both get some sleep. Goodnight, Tugger."

"Night, Munk."

When Tugger disappeared around the corner Munkustrap made his way over to his new den. Stepping inside, he saw Quaxo's wide eyes watching him. A happy smile lit up the kitten's face when he saw the tabby and Munkustrap found himself smiling back.

"You're supposed to be asleep, you know?"

Quaxo lowered his head. "I missed you," he admitted. "Tugger's not as ... fluffy as you are. I couldn't sleep."

Munkustrap almost snorted. "Well, congratulations for fooling Tugger. He most certainly thought you were far away in dreamland."

"Sorry," Quaxo said, blushing.

Munkustrap nuzzled the kitten's head. "Nothing to be sorry for. Just don't tell him you were awake or that tactic won't work again." He winked at Quaxo. "But now it's time for bed, don't you think?"

Quaxo nodded and tried to get comfortable between the pillows and blankets. He did not close his eyes, however, until Munkustrap lay down next to him. Then, the little tom moved closer and snuggled into the tabby's side. It only took a few minutes for Quaxo to fall asleep. Munkustrap gazed fondly down at him.

'No trouble, hm?' he thought. 'Tugger clearly underestimated his furball'.

* * *

The next morning started with quite a lot of visitors. Just after breakfast they heard voices from the direction of the centre of the junkyard and a moment later Jenny walked around the corner, followed by three eager kittens. Quaxo smiled when he saw Tumble waving at him excitedly.

"Ready to meet some new friends?" Munkustrap asked his charge quietly while they waited for the others to approach.

"Tumble said they're nice," Quaxo replied. Still, Munkustrap could see how warily the kitten regarded Jemima and Pouncival.

"They are," Munkustrap reassured him. He stood up and greeted Jennyanydots with a nuzzle. "Good morning!"

"Good morning to you, too!" Jenny laughed. "I have here three enthusiastic kittens for you to look after. Think you'll manage?"

"We'll see," Munkustrap grinned.

Tumble looked at Munkustrap with a frown. "Why isn't Quaxo coming out of the den? Is he sick?"

Munkustrap shook his head. "He's just hiding."

"Why?"

"Because he's shy, dear," Jenny said. "He's a bit nervous about meeting new cats."

Tumble thought about that for a moment. Then he declared, "That's rubbish. I'm going to get him."

With that he stalked determinedly towards Munkustrap's den where Quaxo was lurking in the shadows. The tabby and the Gumbiecat watched on in amusement while Pouncival and Jemima observed the situation curiously. They were behaving extraordinarily well, Munkustrap thought. Especially Pouncival who was not known for his patience. Jenny had obviously talked to them before the visit.

"Are you sure they'll like me?" Quaxo asked quietly and Munkustrap turned to watch Tumble pulling the tuxedo kitten out of his hiding place.

"Of course!" Tumble said with a long suffering sigh. "They're not monsters. Well, Jemima might be one, but that's just a guess. Queens are so weird."

Jemima glared at Tumble. "I am not a monster. You're just stupid."

"Now, now, don't fight, you two," Jenny admonished them.

"Sorry," both Tumble and Jemima mumbled.

Munkustrap used that moment to walk over to Quaxo. "Come on, little one. Let's say hello."

"Hello," Quaxo said shyly while looking at the ground.

"Hi!" Pouncival beamed. He came over to Quaxo and Munkustrap and tried to catch Quaxo's eyes by crouching low and gazing up. "Tumble's told me about all the fun you had! I'm so glad to finally meet you! You sound like a great guy."

Quaxo looked up. "Thank you," he smiled.

Jemima chose that moment to nudge Pouncival aside. She smiled shyly at Quaxo. "Hi! I'm Jemima. Here." She offered him a ball of bright yellow wool. "It's a present from Pounci and me. Well, and from my parents too, I guess. Mum said you could use some more things to play with."

Quaxo took the ball of wool from her and examined it. "It's so soft and fluffy."

"So," Tumble said, "want to play with it?"

"Without waiting for a reply he took the ball out of Quaxo's paws and threw it as fast as he could. The four kittens immediately went after it.

Jenny chuckled. "Well, I guess you won't have any trouble with them for a few hours until they get bored."

"Yeah, probably not," Munkustrap agreed. "Has someone told you about the meeting yesterday?"

Jenny nodded. "Jelly and Skimble did when I picked up the little ons. Three new kittens is great news, Munkustrap. For Jemima's sake I do hope they're not all toms, though. Poor thing, always having to play with boys."

"It's not like she doesn't have fun," Munkustrap remarked with a nod in the direction of the kittens. Jemima and Tumble were wrestling with each other, trying to get to the yellow wool while Pouncival was cheering Tumble on. None of them noticed Quaxo tiptoeing around them on his bandaged paws. He crouched low for a moment before he jumped at the ball, and quick as lightning he ran away with it, followed by three outraged kittens. Munkustrap winced when they all tumbled onto him but Quaxo just laughed and yielded the ball to Pouncival.

"Yep," Jenny said, "they will be inseparable. Just imagine the three new kittens playing here as well."

Munkustrap shrugged. "Skimble aready told me my den's becoming a daycare centre for kittens."

"Well, looks like he's right," came a new voice from behind them. Jenny and Munkustrap turned around to find Plato grinning at them. "Morning, you two."

"Good morning, Plato," Munkustrap replied while Jenny nodded. "What brings you here?"

"Just wanted to let you know that Bomba's already back from Old Deuteronomy's. He agreed to let the kittens stay so Bomba's on her way to her sister's now, together with Tugger and Admetus. She said they'll be back sometime this afternoon."

"That's good. Is everything prepared for the kittens?" Munkustrap asked.

Plato nodded. "Jelly's preparing Bomba's den right now together with Demeter." The young tom startled when something yellow flew past his head, closely followed by four kittens running him almost over. "Oh my," Plato said with a laugh, "those are a handful. Although I have to admit that that ball of wool does look rather enticing." He looked longingly after it.

Jenny hit his ear lightly. "It's the kittens' toy, Plato. You're too old for playing with wool anyway."

Plato glared at her and grumbled, "Spoilsport. One is never too old for playing."

"Well," Munkustrap said, "I need someone to look after Quaxo this afternoon when Bomba and the others are back. I'm sure he'd love to play with you."

Plato stared at him with wide eyes. "You really want me to look after him?"

"Sure, why not?"

The young tom grinned. "I'm already looking forward to it."

"Good," Munkustrap said. "You can come over after your guard duty ends." He turned to Jenny. "Maybe you or Jelly could pick up the kittens around that time as well?"

"Sure, no problem."

"Okay, then that's settled."

Plato and Jenny said their goodbyes, the former one having to relieve Alonzo of his duty while the latter one had to teach her mice some manners. Munkustrap watched them go before he chose a shaded place next to his den where he could observe the kittens. So far they seemed to get along more than fine. Whenever Quaxo lagged behind because of his hurt paws the others slowed down, giving him a chance to catch up.

Munkustrap made himself comfortable. He was curious how Plato would fare that afternoon. The young tom was at a difficult stage in his life, having just grown up but still acting playful and childish sometimes. A lot of responsibility already rested on his shoulders because of the ever-present threat of Macavity attacking the junkyard and Munkustrap was all for giving Plato the opportunity to help the tribe out in ways that were more fun than guard duty. He was sad that the present times required the young members of the tribe to grow up faster than they were supposed to. The tabby knew that Plato did not have it easy, only growing up with his brother Admetus as a guardian after their parents had been killed.

'Another sad story,' Munkustrap thought, watching the kittens play in the sun. 'It's about time we get some happy ones, as well.'

**TBC**


	14. You're Special

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2445

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hi, everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas with your family. This chapter was supposed to be ready on Christmas as a kind of present but, well, you can see how that turned out. As an apology this chapter is a little longer than the previous ones and I hope you enjoy it. I've also realized that I've been promising you to introduce the new kittens since chapter 10. Sadly, you also won't meet them in this chapter, but they'll be there in chapter 15. =) So, have fun with chapter 14 which is a kind of rollercoaster ride and tells us some new things about Plato. Thanks again to everyone who reads and favourites, but most importantly reviews this story.

* * *

**Chapter 14: You're Special**

The kittens were anything but happy when Jelly came by early that afternoon to pick them up. Jemima tried to hide behind Munkustrap while Tumble and Pouncival shrank into the shadows of the tabby's den, hoping not to be seen. Quaxo cocked his head in confusion.

"What are you doing?" he asked into the shadows.

"Hiding!" squeaked Pouncival. "Shhhhh! Or she'll see us!"

Quaxo shook his head, still not understanding, and looked to Munkustrap for an answer. "Why would they be hiding from Jelly?"

The tabby smiled warmly. "They don't want to leave, Quaxo. They love playing with you."

"Yes," Jelly confirmed, nuzzling first Quaxo and then Munkustrap briefly in greeting, "but that doesn't change the fact that it's time to go home now."

Jemima was the first to leave her hiding spot. With her shoulders hanging she looked at Jelly dejectedly. "Do we really have to go home so soon, Mummy? We had so much fun!"

"I know you had, sweetie. And you will have fun again, maybe already tomorrow." She turned her head towards the shadows. "Come out now, you two."

Grumbling, Pouncival and Tumble stepped out of the shadows. "Why do we have to leave so early, again?" Pouncival asked.

Before Jelly could reply, Munkustrap stepped forward. "Because we will get three new tribe members today."

Pouncival looked decidedly unimpressed. "So? What has that got to do with us?"

"Manners, Pouncival," Jelly hissed at him. His ears flattened and he muttered, "Sorry."

Munkustrap smiled, clearly amused. He crouched low so he could look the kittens in the eyes. "It has everything to do with you. The new members are kittens, just like you. Well, maybe a little older. And I'm required to be present when they first come into the junkyard."

"Kittens?" Jemima asked, eyes wide with hope. "Little queens like me?"

Munkustrap shrugged. "Maybe. We don't know."

Tumble tugged softly on the tabby's fur. "I still don't get why we can't play anymore. We're not even allowed to come and meet the new kittens anyway, are we?"

"You're right, you're not," Jelly confirmed. Then she explained, "We don't want to overwhelm the little ones after their long journey. Just a few cats will be present and Munkustrap as the future leader of our tribe is one of them."

"So," Munkustrap continued, "someone will have to watch Quaxo for me and Plato volunteered. It's his first time looking after a kitten and will be quite an experience for him. I think watching all four of you might be a little too much, don't you agree?"

Grudgingly, Tumble nodded. "I guess."

Munkustrap and Jelly shared a look and smiled. "Don't look so sad. You will see each other again tomorrow and maybe you'll even get to meet the new kittens then," the tabby promised.

"And," Jelly added, looking at Jemima and Pouncival, "Tumble will come home with us so you three can continue playing until Jenny picks him up."

That seemed to lift the spirits somewhat. The three kittens said goodbye to Quaxo, and Tumble gave him his yellow wool ball back. "See you tomorrow, Quaxo. Have fun with Plato!"

"Thanks," Quaxo said quietly.

Before they left, however, Jelly turned once more towards the black-and-white kitten. "How are your paws, Quaxo? Do they still hurt?"

Quaxo shook his head. "No. But the b-bandages itch."

Jelly smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, they'll come off tomorrow. I'll talk to Jenny about it."

"Thank you," Munkustrap said while Quaxo nodded, idly picking at a bandage. They watched Jelly and the other kittens leave, waving at them until they rounded the corner. Then they were alone.

"You hungry or thirsty?" Munkustrap asked his charge and turned to go to their den. When he realized that Quaxo was not following him he turned back around. "Quaxo? Is everything alright?" He nudged the kitten gently but Quaxo only shrugged. "What's wrong, little one? You're not hurt, are you?"

Quaxo shook his head and stared dismally at his paws. Munkustrap frowned. He knew that Quaxo was not what one would call a normal kitten, given his family history, and that he was more quiet and withdrawn than other kittens his age. But this drastic mood change was something new and entirely different. Just a few minutes ago Quaxo had been running around laughing and now he looked like his world was about to end.

"Won't you tell me what's wrong?" Munkustrap asked softly.

Quietly, the kitten said, "I don't think they'll want to play with me anymore." Quaxo's dark eyes looked up at him, and they were filled with so many emotions and brimming with tears that Munkustrap's heart immediately went out to him. He drew the kitten into his arms, allowing Quaxo to bury his head deep into the grey-striped fur on his chest. It did not take long for the tears to fall.

"Why would you think something like that?" Munkustrap whispered. "Tumble loves you, and Pouncival and Jemima adore you as well. They're already looking forward to seeing you again tomorrow. They even said so themselves."

"B-but," Quaxo began, voice muffled by the fur, "once the new kittens are here they'll realise how boring I really am. I can't even k-keep up with them, Munkus!" A shudder went through the small black-and-white body and Munkustrap held the distraught kitten tighter.

"They don't care that you're not as fast as they are yet, Quaxo," Munkustrap said quietly. "They know you're hurt and they automatically adjust they're playing so you can keep up with them."

Quaxo simply gripped the tabby's fur tighter as he sobbed harder. "But with the new kittens around they won't have to adjust anymore! They'll play with them and forget all about me."

"Oh, Quaxo." Munkustrap was at a loss of words. He already regretted having to leave the kitten to greet the three newcomers. It would not surprise him if Quaxo thought he would leave him as well, replacing him with someone else.

Someone cleared their throat behind them and Munkustrap looked over his shoulder to see Plato standing a couple of feet away, looking unsure. "Sorry, should I come back later? At a better time?"

Munkustrap sighed and shook his head. "No, stay." He turned back to the shaking kitten in his arms and gently tried to pry him from his fur. "Quaxo, Plato is here. He's been really looking forward to play with you today."

Quaxo sniffed and shook his head dejectedly without looking at Plato. "I'm sure he'd much rather greet the new kittens with you."

"That's not true, Quaxo," Plato said, suddenly appearing beside them. He looked at the kitten with warm and caring brown eyes. "You're special, don't you know that?"

Quaxo finally looked up at that. He sniffed. "I am?"

"Oh yes!" Plato said enthusiastically. "Every cat has a unique story. That's what makes them special. Just because you're different doesn't mean no one loves you or wants to play with you." When Quaxo looked like he wanted to argue Plato added, "I met your friends on their way home, you know? And all I heard them talking about was you! How clever you were, how much fun they had and how they were already looking forward to playing with you again tomorrow. No word about the new kittens whatsoever. They genuinely like you, Quaxo. Just like Munkustrap does. Like Tugger, Jenny, and Jelly do. And I like you as well."

Quaxo gazed at Plato for a moment, then he looked down at the yellow wool in his paws. Shyly, he offered the ball to Plato. "Here."

"Thank you, Quaxo," Plato said amiably. "Want to play with me?"

With a nod, Quaxo waited for Plato to throw the ball and then jumped up to catch it. And just like that the tears and self-doubt were forgotten. He brought the wool back to Plato who threw it again, a little farther this time. Munkustrap looked at the young brown tom gratefully. "Thank you, Plato. You handled that better than I ever could."

Plato shrugged and smiled self-deprecatingly. "Ah, well. Sometimes, all one needs is a little pep talk. I just – I can relate to how he feels, you know? Thinking you've done something wrong, that you're not good enough."

"What happened to your parents was not your fault. You do know that, don't you?"

Plato sighed. "My head knows, I guess. My heart is a different matter. And Admetus ..."

"Loves you dearly," Munkustrap finished for him. "Never doubt that, Plato."

The young tom smiled. "I don't. Not really, anyway. Sometimes, I just wish things had been different, you know? Especially for him."

Munkustrap nodded just as Quaxo came back with the yellow ball of wool in his mouth. The kitten laid it down at Plato's feet and looked up at him expectantly. Plato picked it up, winked at Munkustrap and threw the ball at the tabby. Munkustrap lazily kicked it through the opening to his den.

"Wow!" Quaxo exclaimed before he bounded after the ball.

Plato chuckled. "So, did you learn that move from Tugger or was it the other way round?"

"What do you think?" Munkustrap asked with a grin.

Plato grinned back. "I think it's time you left for the main clearing or the new kittens will be there before you."

"Alright, keep your thoughts to yourself then," Munkustrap said with a laugh. "But you're right, I should go. You sure you'll be okay with Quaxo on your own?"

Plato gave him a look. "If anything should happen I know where I can find you. We'll be fine."

"Okay." When Quaxo came running out of the den with the wool ball Munkustrap called him. The kitten was slightly out of breath when he stopped in front of them. "I'll have to go now," Munkustrap began tentatively. "Plato will stay with you until I come back. Is that alright?"

Quaxo glanced briefly at Plato and then nodded, smiling widely. "Of course!" He hesitated a moment before he stepped closer to Munkustrap. "You promise you will come back?"

"I promise," Munkustrap solemnly said.

"Even if one of the new kittens is cuter than me?"

Now Munkustrap laughed and hugged his kitten tightly. "Even then, little one. No one could possibly replace you. We're family after all, right?"

"Yes." Quaxo smiled happily at him. They let go and both Plato and Quaxo waved Munkustrap goodbye.

"Want to continue playing with the wool?" Plato asked once Munkustrap had rounded the corner and was no longer in sight.

Quaxo shook his head, still out of breath. "Can we just lie in the sun for a while?"

Plato smiled. "Sure. You tired?"

"A little bit. Running around on bandaged paws is difficult." He wrinkled his nose at the bandages.

"Well," Plato said, stretching out on the sun-warmed ground with a smile on his face, "your paws are healing, right? So you'll be running around without bandages in no time, I'm sure. For now let's give your poor little feet some rest."

And they did just that, lying close together near the entrance of the den, a gentle breeze caressing their fur. It was a lovely afternoon and although Plato was of course curious about the new kittens he was more than happy to spend some time with Quaxo and show Munkustrap that he was trustworthy. There had been a time when he had been just as insecure about his friends and family as Quaxo was now, and he was glad that he could help the little tom with that. He knew that Quaxo was not to blame for his mother leaving him, but he also knew that the little kitten probably still believed that it was his fault and thus expected his new friends to leave him as well, sooner or later.

Plato had thought that way, too, not so long ago, after his parents had died. Only he, on the contrary to Quaxo, had not let anyone get close to him. Safe for his brother Admetus, that is. He still remembered how afraid he had been that Admetus was going to go away, just like their parents had. It had taken him weeks to learn that his brother would never leave him and that it was not his fault that their parents had died. It had taken him even longer to learn to trust the other cats in the tribe again and because of that he more often than not felt like an outsider, neither really fitting in with the kittens nor with the adults. It was hard, finding his place in the tribe again, and he wanted to spare Quaxo that pain if he could.

When he closed his eyes he could still hear the Pollicle growling and smell his foul breath. They were huddled in a dark corner of an alley, hoping the dog would not notice them. But the wind was not in their favour, and the dog sniffed the air and came closer. Out of fear, Plato had taken a step backwards, right into a shard of broken glass, and mewled. At once, the Pollicle had come running into the alley and their father had told Admetus to get Plato and run to the junkyard as fast as he could. The last thing Plato had seen of his parents was bloody fur and defying eyes until the dog had blocked his view. He would never forget his mother's screams.

Quaxo nudged him tentatively and Plato was brought out of his memory. He smiled at the black-and-white kitten next to him, and could not help but think that even though they had both lost their parents Quaxo had had it so much worse. At least Plato and Admetus had known that their parents loved them while Quaxo's mother simply had not wanted him around anymore.

"What is it, Quaxo?" Plato asked gently.

"You looked sad," Quaxo said, staring at him with his big eyes. "When Munkus comes back you can ask him to hug you. He gives the best hugs! They always make me feel better."

Plato laughed and ruffled the fur between Quaxo's ears. "I'll be sure to try that. Now, how about a story? Hm?"

Quaxo immediately sat up, an eager expression on his face. "Tugger told me about the Jellicle Ball! Do you have any stories about it?"

"Well," Plato pretended to think. "Has Tugger told you about the Great Rumpus Cat?" When Quaxo shook his head, Plato began his story with a grin. "Every year at the Jellicle Ball we perform a play for Old Deuteronomy. And sometimes, we tell the story of the Great Rumpus Cat who is a hero amongst cats everywhere ..."

**TBC **


	15. New Kittens

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2509

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Hi, everyone! Time for another update. It's already been way too long since the last one, but my muse demanded me to write down an ASoIaF story first. Sorry *g* Thank's again to everyone who reviewed or put this story on their alerts! I hope you enjoy the new chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 15: New Kittens**

* * *

When Munkustrap arrived in the clearing Jenny and Demeter were already waiting. He greeted both of them with a nuzzle. "They're not back yet?"

Demeter shook her head. "No. But they should be here any minute now."

"How's little Quaxo?" Jenny asked.

Munkustrap smiled. "He's great. Plato's looking after him right now and I think they're getting along really well."

"That doesn't surprise me," Jenny said fondly. "Plato is good with kittens. He's just too shy sometimes."

Demeter nodded. "He is, but can you blame him? Poor guy probably thinks he's going to break them."

Munkustrap shook his head. "I don't think that's the case anymore, Demeter. Plato's become a lot more self-assured over the last few months since he's taken up guard duty."

"Giving him that sort of responsibility was a good decision," Jenny agreed. "He's a lot more open now. And-"

She was interrupted by a loud voice singing various lines from "The awful battle of the Pekes and the Pollicles". The three cats looked at each other. "Tugger," they said in unison. Munkustrap shook his head. Trust Tugger to entertain the new kittens with a song about dogs. He could almost imagine him acting out the entire song on his own on the way to the junkyard. Sometimes his brother enjoyed being the centre of attention a little too much.

"They're here!" Demeter exclaimed excitedly. Just then, Tugger turned the corner, trying to imitate a ferocious dog which just made him look like ridiculously foolish . Behind him, three kittens came into the clearing, followed by Bombalurina and Admetus.

Jenny made a noise that sounded almost like a squeal. "Oh, look, Munkustrap, they're all queens! Jemima will be so happy!"

Jenny was right. The three little kittens were all queens and obviously littermates. Two of them were already practically worshipping the ground Tugger walked on, while the third and eldest walked a few steps behind them, only now and again gazing at Tugger in grudging admiration.

Bomba had the biggest smile on her face when she greeted Munkustrap. "Aren't they adorable?" she asked and pointed to the kittens who were busy fawning over Tugger. "The white one is Victoria. She's the oldest of the litter."

"And relatively immune to Tugger's charms, thank the Everlasting Cat for small mercies," Admetus added wryly.

When Victoria heard her name being spoken she raised her head and came over to them. She glanced at Munkustrap shyly. "You must be Munkustrap," she said, with a little smile. "Bomba has told us about you and the tribe. Thank you for taking us in."

Munkustrap smiled at her. "You're welcome, Victoria. I hope you will like it here."

"I'm sure we will," Victoria replied. With a quick but shy nuzzle to Munkustrap, Demeter and Jenny she returned to her sisters.

"She's such a sweetie," Jenny said, gazing at her fondly. "Jemima and she should get along just fine."

Bomba laughed. "Yeah, well, the other two are another matter entirely. The dark one is called Electra. The light one with the patches and stripes is Etcetera. She's the youngest of the litter and quite a piece of work."

Admetus grimaced and nodded. "Oh yeah, she is. Just wait until you hear her scream or squeal in delight. Nothing for sensitive ears, I guarantee you that." He rubbed his right ear ruefully.

As if she knew they were talking about her, Etcetera let out a loud squeal of joy followed by laughter. "Oh, Tugger, you're the greatest!"

Admetus looked at the other cats who were trying not to wince. "See what I mean?"

Munkustrap nodded. "Good thing Quaxo's such a quiet kitten." He grinned at Bomba. "You sure will have your share of fun with that one."

Bomba smiled at him wryly. "They'll find their own dens soon enough. And by the way, I've heard your den is the new kitten playground. I'm sure the three terrors will visit you more often than not in the near future."

"Lucky me," Munkustrap mumbled and the others laughed.

Tugger choose that moment to saunter over, followed by two excited kittens and a more dignified Victoria who just shook her head at her sisters' antics. "So, Munk, what do you think of our new tribe members?"

"I think the tribe won't know what hit them," Munkustrap answered with a diplomatic smile. "Hello, little ones." Both Electra and Etcetera chirped an obedient hello back at him. "Did you enjoy your trip here?"

Electra nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes! It was so cool! We saw so many things. We've never left the house before!"

"And Tugger is the coolest!" Etcetera added, earning Munkustrap a smirk from Tugger. "Ever! I'm going to be his mate when I grow up."

That wiped the smirk off Tugger's face and Munkustrap could not help but laugh at him. "This could be interesting. Didn't peg you for the settling down type, Tugger, but then again: miracles do happen sometimes."

"Ha ha," Tugger grumbled good-naturedly.

Demeter rolled her eyes. "As much as I enjoy your brotherly banter, I think we should show the kittens their new home. They must be tired from the long walk here."

Victoria nodded gratefully and together the little group made their way over to Bombalurina's den. The kittens stared at it a little apprehensively, but Bomba nudged them forward. "Don't be scared. Go on in and look around. I know it's not a fancy human house, but it's warm and comfortable and if my sense of smell doesn't deceive me there should be a couple of mice in there waiting to be devoured by you."

That sent Etcetera and Electra running. Victoria followed at a slower and more deliberate pace. Bomba shook her head fondly and sighed. "I already adore them."

Jenny gazed at the den opening thoughtfully. "I think Victoria might be ready for her own den quite soon. She seems so mature already."

Admetus nodded. "She is. While her sisters were hanging onto Tugger's every word we actually had a really nice conversation. She kept asking about the junkyard, about the different cats. My brother in particular seemed to interest her a lot."

Tugger grinned. "Ah, young love. So romantic."

Jenny hit him over the head. "They haven't even met yet, Tugger. And they're both too young for mating anyway. Don't even think about taunting either Victoria or Plato about this."

"That hurt, Jenny, you know," Tugger grumbled and rubbed his head. When Jenny kept glaring at him, he rolled his eyes and pouted. "I won't, I promise. Are you happy now?"

"Very," Jenny said with a pleased smile.

"Well," Munkustrap said, before Tugger's pout could turn into a full-blown sulk, "I think we should leave Bomba and the kittens to settle in. There'll be enough time to get to know them and I'm sure father will want to greet them personally tomorrow anyway. Let's allow them a little rest and quiet before the whole tribe descends upon them."

Bomba smiled. "Thank you, Munkustrap. For everything." She nuzzled him.

"Of course, Bomba. We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good evening."

Tugger, Jenny and Admetus followed him away from Bomba's den and back into the clearing while Demeter stayed behind. She would help Bomba over the next few weeks with the kittens, taking care of them, showing them how to hunt and preparing them for a life on their own in the junkyard in general. While both Electra and Etcetera still seemed to be very childish, Munkustrap was sure that Victoria at least would proof to be an avid student and learner.

They stopped in the clearing.

"I'd better go and relieve Jelly of Tumble," Jenny said and waved goodbye.

They watched her leave, until Tugger stated, "Well, I'm hungry. I think I smelled a rat when we brought the kittens into the junkyard." He grinned devilishly. "Hope it's a fat one." And off he was, dashing around the corner and out of sight.

"It's just us, then," Munkustrap said amused. For a self-proclaimed lazy tom, Tugger could be extraordinarily fast when hunger called. "Want to come with me and pick Plato up?"

Admetus laughed. "I'm sure he's old enough not to need to be picked up by anyone, but yeah, I'll come with you. To be honest, I'm kind of curious how things went with Quaxo."

"Why?"

"Well, because it's the first time Plato's keeping an eye on a kitten on his own," Admetus explained. "There's bound to be some problems."

Munkustrap smiled reassuringly at him. "Don't worry. Plato and Quaxo get along just fine. Plato's great with him. I think he's more natural at this than I am."

Admetus raised an eyebrow. "How so?"

Munkustrap told him about the worries Quaxo had when his friends were leaving. "Plato made him feel special," the tabby explained. "With just a few words from Plato Quaxo went from being near tears to smiling and playing again. And, if I may say so, Plato for his part looked incredibly happy to be able to play with him."

They rounded a corner. Admetus sighed. "Plato's that unfortunate age where all the adults tell him he's too old to play anymore, though it's so obvious how much he wants to play some silly game or another with the kittens. But he doesn't because he thinks the other cats will frown upon that. It's not fair."

"No," Munkustrap agreed, "it's not. That's why I asked him to look after Quaxo in the first place: to give him a chance to be himself, to be as silly and playful and kittenish as he wants to be. He's missed so much, and had to grow up so fast, I think he deserves this little reprieve from adult life.

Admetus nodded gratefully. He said, "Thank you for doing that for him. I know you wouldn't trust just any cat with Quaxo."

"Plato's a good guy," Munkustrap smiled. "He'll make a good father one day."

Admetus grimaced. "He will, but him mating is nothing I want to think about. Not now, not ever." He shuddered and Munkustrap laughed. "It's just weird thinking about my baby brother growing up."

"But he will," Munkustrap told him with a smile. "And no matter how ridiculous Tugger was when he was talking about young love, I think Plato would be a wise choice on Victoria's part. They would work very well together."

Admetus sighed and shook his head. "I know, that's why I told her more about him when she asked. But shouldn't they meet first before we decide their fate?"

"Oh, absolutely," Munkustrap said, highly amused. "I'm not planning on playing matchmaker, just observing that they would make fine mates if they happen to catch each other's eyes. What about you? Anyone catch your eye?"

At that Admetus blushed and Munkustrap had to fight very hard not to start laughing. "Maybe," Admetus finally said evasively, looking anywhere but at the tabby.

"Maybe?" Munkustrap raised an eyebrow. "Maybe is no real answer."

Admetus glared at him. "I'm beginning to see how you and Tugger are related," he grumbled. "Fine, I've been spending a lot of time with Cassie lately."

"Cassandra?" Munkustrap asked, surprised. The graceful queen did not live at the junkyard permanently since she had a lovely human family that gave her a home.

"She's perfect," Admetus sighed and now Munkustrap could not help but smile. "She's beautiful and graceful and knows how to hold her own in a fight. Perfect."

"Does she like you back?"

Now Admetus was grinning. "I think so."

Munkustrap nudged him playfully. "Good for you. You deserve some happiness."

"I haven't told Plato yet," Admetus admitted just before they rounded the corner that would lead to Munkustrap's den. "I don't know how."

They stopped. "Just tell him," Munkustrap said. "He'll understand. As long as you don't suddenly stop spending time with him I think he'll be fine."

"I think I'll talk to Cassie first," Admetus said. "Make sure we're on the same page and all. No need to tell Plato if she's not as interested as I am."

"You do that." They started walking again and rounded the corner. A few meters away they saw both Plato and Quaxo running after a stray leaf, trying to catch it, all the while laughing. Plato faked a stumble just as he was about to reach the leaf, thus allowing Quaxo to get to it first.

"I won!" the little black-and-white kitten shouted gleefully. "You're not hurt, are you?" he asked Plato uncertainly as he turned around and saw the older tom still lying on the ground but Plato only laughed. "No, I'm just clumsy." He pounced on Quaxo and started tickling him.

"Look at them," Admetus murmured quietly. "It's been a long time since I've seen my brother this carefree."

Plato saw them then and ceased his tickle attack on Quaxo. He grinned at them. "Hi, you two!"

"Hi, you two!" Munkustrap and Admetus greeted in return. Quaxo's whole face lit up when he saw Munkustrap.

"Munkus!" the little tom squealed and lunched himself at the tabby. "We had so much fun! We were sunbathing and playing and hunting leaves and catching butterflies and stalking beetles and-"

"Don't forget to breathe, little one," Munkustrap laughed. "I take it you had fun with Plato?"

Quaxo nodded. "Yes. So much! Can he come play with me again?"

Munkustrap winked at Plato. "If he wants to."

"You do, don't you?" Quaxo asked pleadingly.

Plato ruffled his black fur. "Of course I do." He looked at his brother then. "Hi, Metus. How was the kitten journey?"

That got Quaxo's attention as well. Both he and Plato looked at Admetus with curious wide eyes. "It was good. Three new cute little queens for the junkyard."

"Jemima will be delighted," Plato grinned.

"When can we meet them?" Quaxo asked eagerly. Apparently his earlier worries about the new kittens stealing his friends away were forgotten, Munkustrap was glad to notice.

He and Admetus exchanged a look. "Tomorrow, probably, if Old Deuteronomy comes to greet them. The whole tribe will be there."

"Me too?" Quaxo looked at him hopefully.

"Yes, little one, you too. You're a member of the tribe, after all," Munkustrap explained gently. "Now, how about we clean you up and get you ready for bed? We don't want you to fall asleep when you meet the new kittens, do we?"

Quaxo shook his head vehemently.

"Good," Munkustrap smiled. "Now, say goodbye to Admetus and Plato. You will see them again tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Plato," Quaxo said and nuzzled his new friend affectionately. "Goodbye, Admetus."

Plato ruffled Quaxo's fur once more. "Bye, Quaxo. See you tomorrow!"

"Good evening, you two," Admetus said, and he left with Plato, telling him on the way all about the new kittens. Munkustrap watched them round the corner before he turned Quaxo towards their den.

"Now, bath time, I think. You're fur's all over the place."

Quaxo giggled and ran ahead and into the den. Munkustrap followed him more slowly, wondering how he had ever lived without little Quaxo in his life.

* * *

**TBC**


	16. Pied Piper

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author: **Ailendolin

**Rating: **T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **1625

**Warning: **Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Sorry again for taking so long to update. Life has been really crazy. I have three deadlines coming up this week and got the offer to go on a dig in Siberia in July (meaning I'm flying there next Sunday), so there was a lot of organizing to do for that and the preparations took up a lot of my time. But here is another update. It's not very long, I'm afraid, but it gives a bit of background I think some people will like and it moves the story forward. I hope it doesn't feel too rushed or out of place. Anyways, have fun reading and thanks again to everyone who still follows this story and reviews and favourites!

* * *

**Chapter 16: Pied Piper**

Giving Quaxo a bath, Munkustrap had learned, meant dealing with a squirming and grumbling kitten that tried to get away the moment Munkustrap turned around, which then resulted in him chasing said kitten around the den until Quaxo collapsed in a fit of giggles. It seemed to be a universal law that kittens did not like getting bathed. He remembered his own childhood very well, after all, and could still hear Tugger's high-pitched screams whenever someone tried to bathe him. Being a good brother, Munkustrap still rubbed the girly screams in Tugger's face whenever the opportunity presented itself.

The good thing about baths, however, was that kittens were very tired after all their grand escape plans and Quaxo was no exception. After a brief dinner the little tom lay sleepily on the blankets and tried to keep his eyes open.

"I think it's time for bed, little one," Munkustrap said.

Quaxo's eyes were suddenly very much open. "I'm not tired." He tried his best to appear wide awake and Munkustrap chuckled. "Really, not the least bit tired."

"Sure you are. Come one, snuggle down into the blankets and just close your eyes. The sooner you're asleep the sooner morning will be here."

Quaxo looked for a moment like he wanted to argue, then he gave a little huff that Munkustrap found adorable and burrowed down into the blankets. "Will you tell me a story?" Quaxo asked, blinking up at him.

Munkustrap sighed and settled down next to his charge. "What kind of story would you like to hear?" Quaxo shrugged. "Mhm," Munkustrap pretended to think, "how about a love story?" He couldn't help but laugh when Quaxo's white face wrinkled in disgust. "Okay, no love story. Got it. How about something magical?"

At that Quaxo's ears perked up. "Magical? What does that mean?"

Munkustrap smiled at him. "Have you never heard of magical cats?" Quaxo shook his head. "Well," Munkustrap began, "magic has been in this world since the dawn of time. It can be many things and is rarely visible, but there have been some cats who have had magic in its purest form. It's a power, Quaxo, a talent and as such it has to be wisely used."

"Why?" Quaxo asked, no longer looking sleepy. Munkustrap wondered if talking about magic had been such a good idea after all. There was no going back now, however.

"Because," the tabby explained, "magic can be used as a weapon. It's up to the magician to decide whether to use magic for good, or for evil. Now, today, there's only one magical cat known. His name is Macavity, and he chose to use his talents for evil purposes. Some magic cats that were known before him did the same, and it's because of them that cats today fear magic and think it's evil."

Quaxo looked down at his paws. "But it's not," he said, looking back up. "Right?"

Munkustrap smiled. "You're right, it's not. What cats today forget is that there have been a lot of great magicians before Macavity that used their magic for good. They protected their tribes, helped them through hard times and sometimes performed little tricks just to make their friends laugh."

"What kind of tricks?" Quaxo asked.

"Anything you can imagine, little one." He gestured at their den. "They could make blankets dance in the air, create sparks that would light up this room or disappear and reappear in the blink of an eye."

Quaxo smiled brightly at him. "That sound's amazing. Do you know a story about a magic cat? I'd very much like to hear one. It's not too late for a story, is it?"

"Well," Munkustrap said, "it is, actually. You should be asleep by now, little one. But I think we can make an exception today. Now, let me see. Which story could I tell? Ah, yes. Have you ever heard about the Pied Piper?"

Quaxo shook his head. "Who is he?"

"He was a man, living in another land," Munkustrap explained. "He came into a town that had a rat problem and promised the people help if they paid him. They agreed and he played a beautiful melody on his musical pipe and led the rats out of town to a river where they drowned. The townspeople, however, refused to pay him and the Pied Piper got angry and swore he would take revenge. He did, eventually, using the same trick to lure the children out of the town and only gave them back once he got his payment."

Quaxo frowned at him. "But what does this have to do with magic?"

Munkustrap grinned. "The Pied Piper had an assistant. A little cat, black like you, with one white paw. Her name was Eris and she was a powerful magician and the Pied Piper's best friend. He probably did not know it but he owed it all to her, for it was her magic that gave his instrument the power to ensnare any living thing he wanted to. She liked to cause a little trouble now and then but never used her gift for evil purposes. Eris was a clever cat and only allowed the Pied Piper to use the power of his instrument those two times before she took it from him because she knew that with power came corruption and temptation."

"And magic means to have power?" Quaxo asked.

"Yes, little one." Munkustrap nodded. "To have magic means to be more powerful than any other cat. Eris used her power to help a town get rid of its rat problem and with that she saved countless of cats from starvation when the rats drowned in the river because since the rats hid in the town there was nothing around they could hunt anymore. That was the way she was and cats all over the land cherished her for her goodness."

Quaxo sighed wistfully. "I wish I could meet a magical cat like Eris. Or be one!"

Munkustrap laughed. "You would make a fine magician, I am sure, little one." He was surprised when Quaxo frowned.

"But what if I was not good enough? I don't want to do bad things."

Munkustrap nuzzled Quaxo's head gently. "Don't worry about that, Quaxo. I don't believe you could do bad things even if you wanted to. It's not in your nature."

Quaxo smiled up at him. "Do you know what I'd do if I could do magic?"

Munkustrap shook his head, amused. "No, what?"

"I'd like to have stars in my fur that sparkle in the dark," Quaxo grinned. "Tugger would be so jealous."

The tabby laughed even when an image of glimmering dark fur flashed in his mind. "I'm not so sure about that one, but you'd be quite the sight, that's for sure."

Quaxo nodded and moved around for a moment before settling down again with his side pressed into Munkustrap's grey fur. "What would you do if you had magic?" Quaxo asked, yawning widely.

Munkustrap watched the little kitten's eyes droop and gave one of his white-tipped ears an affectionate lick. "I'd make sure that no one in our tribe had to be afraid of anyone or anything anymore."

"That sounds nice," Quaxo mumbled and soon after fell asleep with his head tucked under Munkustrap's paw. Munkustrap smiled down on his charge affectionately. He thought back to the night not so long ago when he thought he had seen Quaxo's fur glitter, a sight that had burned itself into his mind. His eyes widened when he realized what that could mean. He stared down at Quaxo's burned paws and tried to remember if Macavity's paws were hurt when he met him the first time but the memories were fuzzy. Munkustrap sighed. Even though he still was not sure whether his eyes had played a trick on him or not when he saw Quaxo's fur glitter, he knew that if there was the slightest chance that Quaxo could have magical abilities he wanted the little tom to know the goodness magic could do before anyone poisoned his ears with talk of evil magical cats like Macavity.

Munkustrap still mourned the loss of Macavity. They both had been very young when Old Deuteronomy had introduced Macavity to him and Tugger, saying he had found him abandoned on the streets. Together, the three of them had grown up like brothers, happy, until Macavity's powers had revealed themselves and the other cats started talking about him. Things got worse over time, and Macavity got quieter and neither Munkustrap nor Tugger had known how to reach their foster brother. It did not take long for Macavity to break under the disguised fear and hatred of the tribe and he ran away, following a dark road and forgetting all about the happiness they had shared until only hate remained.

That was a fate that Munkustrap hoped Quaxo would not share. His family had made many mistakes regarding Macavity; mistakes that could not be made undone now. Munkustrap had always felt that he failed his brother somehow and vowed that he would not repeat the same mistakes with the little kitten sleeping in his arms, should Quaxo turn out to be a magician. He would protect him, make the others see how good Quaxo was and if need be he would even go with him into exile.

"For your sake," he whispered, "I hope you do not have magic, little one. For it is a valuable gift, but also a very burden and you carry enough of those already."

Quaxo did not hear his words and slept on, and Munkustrap closed his eyes with a sigh, feeling old all of a sudden. That night he dreamt of lightning and evil laughter.

* * *

**TBC**

**A/N 2: **I hope you liked all that talk about magic and Munkustrap's realization – or suspicion, more like. I felt it was time for something like that, though I'm not sure if it's not a bit too hurried. Well, too late for that now *lol* At least we're getting somewhere with the story. The next update won't be until August or September since I'm in Siberia for the whole of July with no internet access or even a laptop and after that I'm on vacation in Austria.


	17. Official Playground

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2490

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **So, I promised the next update would be in September when I'm back from Siberia, and here it is. I'm not terribly satisfied with how this chapter turned out which is probably because I have a lot of things on my mind right now. Personal stuff, family-related. That said, this chapter ends with a little cliffhanger because I've decided to move things along. The thing is, I don't really have the time to keep this story going for much longer since I've now started work on my master's thesis and that is of course my priority. I still have something planned for this story, but I hope that I can finish this fanfiction with 20 chapters total. We'll see how that goes. Anyway, enjoy this chapter and I'll try not to take another two months for another update.

* * *

**Chapter 17: Official Playground**

* * *

The next morning dawned bright and early and Quaxo was up and about before Munkustrap had even cracked one eye open. For a moment, he watched the kitten chase after a moth that must have found its way into their den during the night and giggle happily all the while before he yawned and asked, "What are you so excited about today, little one?"

Quaxo turned around and with a wide grin jumped onto Munkustrap's back. He laughed and nuzzled the tabby's neck affectionately. "Morning, Munkus! Are we going to meet the new kittens now?"

Munkustrap groaned playfully and buried his face into the pillows. "No," he moaned, drawing the word out. "I'm way too tired. See? I'm already fast asleep again."

On his back Quaxo shifted, and even though Munkustrap had his eyes closed he could imagine just how the kitten was cocking his head in confusion. He grinned when he felt Quaxo's paws digging deeper into his back, preparing for another jump.

"You're not asleep! I know you're not. Come on," Quaxo said, and jumped. Munkustrap, however, was ready for it and Quaxo shrieked with laughter when the tabby turned around lightning-fast and caught him in the air, only to begin tickling him without mercy.

"Stop!" Quaxo laughed. "I thought you were tired!"

Munkustrap stopped and grinned down at his charge. "Not anymore." He resumed tickling Quaxo's belly for a moment longer before he nuzzled his head affectionately. "Morning, little one."

"I'll never wake you again," Quaxo vowed, still laughing.

Munkustrap snorted. "Oh, you will. I'm sure of it." He stood up and stretched elegantly. "Are you hungry? I smell some mice not far from here. I could catch us some."

"That would be nice," nodded Quaxo.

"Alright," Munkustrap said. "I want you to stay here and wait for me. I'll remain in shouting distance, so don't leave the den, alright?"

Quaxo nodded once more and with a last smile to him Munkustrap stepped out of the dark den into the sunlight. The day was bright, with no clouds in sight and a slight breeze blowing. Quickly, Munkustrap followed the sense of the mice. It didn't take him long to locate them under some buckets. Sometimes, they really made it too easy. Triumphantly, he went back to the den where an eager Quaxo was waiting for him. Together they ate their breakfast – in Munkustrap's case slowly with the chance to savor the taste, in Quaxo's case as if he were on the run and the Great Rumpus Cat was after him.

"Are we going to meet the kittens now?" Quaxo asked.

Munkustrap laughed. "Patience, Quaxo. Patience. We will go to the tire in an hour, when Old Deuteronomy arrives to greet the kittens and welcome them into the tribe. Just like he did with you."

"That was scary," Quaxo admitted, his big eyes never leaving Munkustrap's. "Will the other kittens be scared as well?"

Munkustrap pondered that for a moment. "I don't think so. They're older than you were when you came here, and they're not alone, you know? They have each other, and they know Bomba and met some tribe members already. You knew no one and had every right to be scared."

"I'm not scared anymore," Quaxo declared proudly and Munkustrap ruffled his fur.

"And you have no reason to," he said. "There is nothing to be afraid of as long as you're in the junkyard."

Quaxo smiled at him and snuggled closer into his grey-striped fur. "I like it here, Munkus. I like being here with you."

Munkustrap nudged one of Quaxo's dark ears playfully. "And I like having you here. As does the rest of tribe."

Before he could say anything more they heard someone clearing their throat outside their den. "Hello? This is Plato," they heard the young tom say nervously. "Are you awake? I wondered if Quaxo was up to some more playing before the meeting starts."

Munkustrap grinned when Quaxo looked up at him with wide, excited eyes. "See? It's barely morning and already you have a visitor. Come on, little one, go to him and have fun."

For a moment, Quaxo burrowed himself deeper into Munkustrap's fur before he sprang up, grabbed his plush mouse and ran outside. Munkustrap shook his head fondly and followed his charge at a slower pace and stepped outside just in time to see Quaxo knocking Plato down on his back.

"Oops," Quaxo said, but Plato was laughing happily and soon Quaxo joined in.

"Morning to you too, little troublemaker," Plato said. "And to you, Munkustrap. I hope this is not too early."

Munkustrap waved a paw dismissively. "Don't worry, we've already eaten breakfast. Someone is very excited to make new friends today."

"Are you now?" Plato asked the little black-and-white tom. "I've heard they are very nice. Jemima is beside herself with happiness of having finally some young queens to play with. She's already awake as well," he added towards Munkustrap.

The tabby laughed. "I can imagine it. Let me guess: young Pouncival is not exactly delighted about that?"

Plato shrugged with a smirk. "He's pretty envious of Tumble being an only child right now, I think. He hates it when someone disturbs his sleep."

"Don't we all?" Munkustrap asked rhetorically. He stretched once more and then settled down in a patch of sunlight to watch Plato and Quaxo play in the cool air of morning as only young cats could. Quaxo's paws did not seem to trouble him anymore, and his jumps grew more reckless the surer his footing got. More than once Munkustrap had to remind himself not to intervene and to allow Quaxo to test out his own limits, remembering that he had been just as adventurous when he was a kitten. So he closed his eyes, relaxing in the sun and trusting Plato to keep Quaxo out of any serious trouble.

He was dozing lightly when Pouncival, followed by an amused Skimble, came stomping around the corner, looking for all intents and purposes as if it was pouring and someone had destroyed his favourite toy. Munkustrap had to try very hard not to start laughing when he saw the thunderous expression on Pouncival's face.

"Good Morning, young Pouncival," he greeted the kitten with a bow of his head.

"Morning," mumbled Pouncival back, and Munkustrap and Skimble exchanged an amused glance. Skimble settled down next to Munkustrap, and together they watched Pouncival walking over towards Quaxo and Plato.

"Quaxo?" Pouncival said, and without waiting for an answer continued, "Never, ever get a sister. Seriously."

Plato snorted, which turned into laughing when Pouncival glared at him. Quaxo just looked politely confused. "Jemima isn't so bad, Pounci," the black-and-white kitten said. "I wouldn't mind having her as a sister."

"Yes, you would," Pouncival assured him. "You have absolutely no idea how loud she can shriek, and how much this hurts your ears, especially when it's not even bloody morning yet, and all because of three new kittens."

"Language, Pouncival," Skimble said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah," Pouncival grumbled. He turned back to Quaxo. "You should really, really tell Munkustrap not to get you a sister. Once she's there, there's no returning them. Believe me: I've tried."

Munkustrap raised an eyebrow and looked at Skimble. "Did he now?"

Skimble nodded. "Yep. He asked us if we could send Jemima to live with Bomba as well, seeing as she obviously wouldn't mind having another kitten under her wing, because, and I quote, 'one more or less doesn't make a difference and then I could finally have my peace and quiet, thank you very much'. He was very vocal about that this morning."

They watched Pouncival grumbling on about his sister, unaware that neither Quaxo nor Plato were really listening. "Poor you," Munkustrap said finally with a smile. "I can't even imagine taking care of two kittens, with one full of excitement and the other plotting murder."

Skimble laughed. "That's a surprisingly accurate description of what went on in our den this morning. But Pouncival will get over it. He's just as excited about the new kittens as Jemima is, deep down. Well, maybe not exactly, since the kittens are all queens and queens are, and I quote again, 'not cool'."

"Until the moment when they suddenly are." Munkustrap and Skimble shared a knowing glance.

"Munkustrap? Skimble?" Plato called from his high seat on the frame of an old bed that lay on a pile of junk. "I think it's about time to go. I can see the others assembling by the tire."

Pouncival groaned. "Do we really have to go? It's just three stupid kittens."

Skimble walked over to him and bit him gently in the ear. "Yes, Pouncival, and you will behave." He shook his head. "I remember distinctly that you were just as excited as Jemima is today when Quaxo was introduced to the tribe. So why the long face now, hm?"

"Because they're kittens!" Pouncival gave him a look that clearly said, 'isn't that obvious?'. "And besides, Quaxo's cool."

That earned him a bright smile from Quaxo and an exasperated sigh from Skimble.

"Well," Munkustrap said, laughing, "now that that's settled, let's go."

Together, they walked the short distance to the main clearing of the junkyard. Most of the tribe was already there, talking excitedly. They spotted Jelly, Tumble, Admetus and Jenny off to the sides, and to Pouncival's woe Jemima was with them. After making their way over to them and greeting each other affectionately, Jelly said, "I hope you've calmed down somewhat, Pouncival."

"'Somewhat' is quite accurate, I believe," said Munkustrap with a twinkle in his eye while Pouncival just turned and told Tumble to never allow Jelly to get him a sister. Quaxo laughed, surprising the older cats. "He's told me the same thing," he told Tumble who started laughing as well.

"He sure is more open now than just a few days ago," Jenny observed. She smiled. "Good for him. His paws seem healed as well, as far as I can see."

Quaxo seemed to have heard that and turned proudly, albeit a little shyly, towards Jenny. "They don't hurt anymore," he declared happily. After exchanging a glance with Munkustrap he added, "Thank you for helping me."

Jenny chuckled. "You are most welcome, Quaxo."

Quaxo looked expectantly at Munkustrap. "Well done, little one," the tabby said.

Instead of turning back to his friends, Quaxo suddenly cocked his head. His ears twitched. "Old Deuteronomy?"

Munkustrap looked at him in wonder, when a moment later the voices of Coricopat and Tantomile who were on the other side of the clearing melodiously called out, "I believe it is Old Deuteronomy." A feeling of worry settled into the pit of his stomach, thinking back to the night when Quaxo's fur may or may not have been glittering. Nobody in the tribe had ever been more perceptive than the twins, except Macavity, once upon a time.

"There he is!" Tumble called out. Slowly, Old Deuteronomy made his way through the waiting cats and onto the tire, all the while aided by Tugger who was being his usual sauntering self. Once the junkyard quieted down, Old Deuteronomy raised his voice. "I thank all of you for coming today, and I am proud to welcome three new kittens into our tribe. Most of you have already heard about them, and some of you have already seen and talked to them. They are the litter from Bombalurina's sister, and I gladly grant them a place among us. So, without further ado: Welcome, Victoria, Electra and Etcetera!"

The tribe cheered when the kittens walked up to the tire, together with their aunt. Jemima was beside herself with excitement. "Oh, Victoria looks so beautiful!" she said. Munkustrap noted that Plato nodded in agreement.

"I hope you will be happy here," Old Deuteronomy went on and smiled down at the three new queens. "I am sure the other kittens are very eager to meet you."

"We thank you," Victoria said softly, while Elektra seemed a bit overwhelmed with all the attention. Etcetera, however, did not notice anything of it, having only eyes for Tugger who was standing behind Old Deuteronomy.

The tribe chief nodded. "There's no need for that," he said quietly. Louder, he announced, "Hereby I declare you full members of our tribe, guaranteeing you our protection and friendship."

Seeing as the official business was done with, Jemima used that moment to squeeze through the other cats, appearing in front of the newcomers. Tumble followed her a moment later with a grumbling Pouncival in his tow, while Quaxo looked up at Munkustrap with questioning eyes.

"It's okay, you can go, too," Munkustrap said, and his kitten was off in a dash.

"At least yours asks you for permission," Jelly said dryly as they followed their kittens.

Jemima was already making friends. "Hi!" she said with a wide smile. "My name's Jemima, and that is my brother Pouncival. And those two are our friends Tumblebrutus and Quaxo."

"Hello," replied Victoria.

"Want to be friends?" Jemima asked. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for a kitten that's not a tom."

Elektra laughed. "I can imagine. Nice to meet you! And ignore our sister, she's already head over heels in love with the Rum Tum Tugger and her IQ goes down to 10 whenever he's near."

They looked towards Etcetera who was gazing dreamily at the object of her affection. "10 might be optimistic," Tumble mumbled. When he realized what he had said his eyes widened but Elektra laughed. "You may be right there."

"I'm new as well," Quaxo told Victoria quietly. "But I'm sure you'll like it here."

"It is a nice place," Victoria acknowledged.

"And a fun place!" Jemima added. Want to come over to our den and play?"

Munkustrap chose that moment to intervene. "I think your parent's den may be a bit too small for that, Jemima."

"Yes," nodded Jelly. "And you're supposed to ask me or your father before inviting someone over, young lady."

"Yes, mum."

Quaxo turned to look at Munkustrap. "Can't they all come over to our den? We have enough space."

Even if he wanted to Munkustrap could not resist those big dark eyes looking at him to pleadingly. "Why not?" he said. "As long as it's okay with everyone. Bomba?"

"Fine with me," the queen said. "I could use the break."

So it came that after the meeting was finished seven kittens were playing outside Munkustrap's den while the older cats dozed in the sun. Admetus grinned at the tabby. "Your den is now officially the playground. You do realize that, don't you?"

Munkustrap shrugged. "I don't really mind. Just look how happy they are."

Admetus' grin grew wider. "I can see how happy my brother is, yes."

The others laughed, and Munkustrap thought that life could not get any better. Of course, only a few days later everything went wrong.

* * *

**TBC**


	18. Black Shadow

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2300

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Finally an update, huh? Took me long enough. I was pretty busy with finishing my master's degree and preparing my dissertation project and had no time for writing at all. I'm very sorry it is taking me so long to finish this story, but I can promise you that we're almost done. Probably only one more chapter and an epilogue and I'm planning to finish those until June at least. The first half of the next chapter is already written so fingers crossed that I'll get it done in time. I hope you like the new chapter. Enjoy reading and thank you to everyone who reviewed and patiently waited all this time!

* * *

**Chapter 18: Black Shadow**

* * *

The sun shone brightly through the den when Munkustrap opened his eyes that morning. A week had gone by after the new kittens had been officially introduced to the tribe and life at the junkyard had returned to normalcy and routine had been reestablished itself. The kittens had settled in well and even Pouncival had grudgingly accepted that they were fun to be around, even though it had taken him a few days to warm up to them. He still preferred to play with Quaxo and Tumble but more often than not all kittens played together outside of Munkustrap's den. At times, Quaxo was still a bit shy and overwhelmed with being surrounded by so many cats. He sometimes retreated into their den for a couple of hours, preferring to be alone, and the other kittens gave him the space he needed. Munkustrap knew that Quaxo would come out once he was ready and thus it did not worry him overtly much.

This morning he and Quaxo had slept in. Munkustrap was not on guard duty that day, so they had stayed up late to watch the stars and the full moon while Munkustrap told stories and spoke of the great deeds of cats from a former time. While he enjoyed seeing Quaxo becoming more and more open when he played with the other kittens Munkustrap found himself looking forward to the moments he spent with Quaxo alone. Sometimes he felt like their time was running out. Quaxo had already grown so much in the time he had been with the tribe, both mentally and physically. It would not take long until he would want to live on his own and Munkustrap already mourned the day when his kitten would move out. He had talked to Tugger about this, just two nights ago, and his brother had just laughed.

"You're being silly, Munk," Tugger had said. "Kittens grow up. That's just the way life goes. Everyone can see that Quaxo adores you, so don't worry about him looking for someone to replace you quite so soon. He will always look to you when he needs help. Believe me, you're the most important cat to him and he will never truly leave you."

The words had comforted him a little, especially since they came from Tugger who usually was not one for deep, emotional conversations. But Munkustrap could not help but worry. The possibility of Quaxo having magic weighed heavily on his mind. There had been instances where Quaxo seemed to be moving too fast from one place to another, or landed safely from falls which should have by all means broken his legs. Nobody but Munkustrap noticed all these things but then again no one had seen Quaxo's fur glitter at night when he dreamed. It had happened twice now and Munkustrap knew that he had to talk to Old Deuteronomy about this at some point. He dreaded that talk and today would not be the day he went to his father. Perhaps tomorrow.

Munkustrap and Quaxo started their morning as they always did: a quick breakfast followed by warming up in the morning sun until someone would come over to play with Quaxo. Today, it was Plato who came running around the corner towards them. He was smiling brightly.

"Good morning!" he called to them.

"Good morning," Munkustrap greeted back amused and watched how Quaxo jumped down from their spot to greet Plato. "How was guard duty this morning?"

Plato waved him off before playfully shoving Quaxo aside and running after his tail. "Not much going on. Just sitting on that old tire and waiting for someone to relieve me. Pretty boring, actually. – Ah, got you!"

He had pounced on Quaxo's tail and held the squealing kitten in place. Quaxo was trying very hard to run away and fell flat on his nose when Plato let go of his tail. For a moment Munkustrap thought Quaxo would cry but the kitten only glared at Plato before he narrowed his eyes and jumped on Plato's back. Both of them fell over laughing.

Munkustrap shook his head at their antics. The joys of being young, he thought. He lay back down and watched the two of them play together. Without a doubt it would not take long for the rest of the kittens to join them. Usually Tumble first, then Pouncival and Jemima and finally Bomba's nieces Victoria, Elektra and Etcetera. The latter would sometimes tarry behind when she became distracted by the Rum Tum Tugger. It amused Munkustrap to no end how Tugger became more and more annoyed by the little queen's affection.

Sounds could be heard from the direction of the junkyard and Munkustrap's ears perked up. He expected Tumble to run around the corner and was surprised to see Jelly instead. There was a look of worry on her face that made Munkustrap sit up. Plato and Quaxo stopped their playing.

"Jelly," Munkustrap greeted. "What's wrong?"

She stopped in front of him and was breathing heavily. "A queen's just crossed our borders, Munkustrap. I have no idea how she could get past our guards, but she's here and she's wounded badly. Jenny is taking care of her right now."

"Who is she?" Munkustrap asked.

Jelly shrugged. "We don't know yet. But you better come fast. She said there were Pollicles after her, a lot by the sound of it."

They exchanged a meaningful glance and Munkustrap understood what Jelly was not saying: it was only a matter of time until the dogs would overrun the junkyard. Their tribe was not strong enough to deal with more than two or three of them at their borders at a time. He turned towards Plato and Quaxo.

"Listen, you two need to come with us," he said. "This might become dangerous, so stay close and don't wander off. Plato, I want you to keep an eye on Quaxo at all times, do you understand."

Plato nodded. "I will not let him out of my sight."

"Good," Munkustrap said. "I'm counting on you. Let's go."

Together the four cats made their way to the center of the junkyard. The noise had died down by the time they reached their destination. There was no one around except for the kittens, Jenny and the newcomer, Munkustrap noted. Good, he thought, this means everyone able to fight is on their posts.

They walked closer to Jenny and the other queen. The kittens were huddled together next to Jenny and looked scared. A moment later Munkustrap could see why. The back of the injured queen was slick with blood. One glance to his left showed him that Plato had the presence of mind to lay a paw over Quaxo's eyes so he would not see the extent of the injuries. Munkustrap nodded to Plato in approval and stepped closer to Jenny while Jelly ushered the rest of the kittens closer to Quaxo and Plato and away from the horrible sight.

"How does it look?" Munkustrap asked Jenny. She only shook her head and Munkustrap knew that the strange queen would not make it.

Jenny grabbed his arm and turned him away from the injured cat. Her eyes were wide when she whispered into his ear, "Munkustrap, she appeared out of nowhere into the junkyard. She was just … there, suddenly. I think she has-"

"-magic," Munkustrap finished for her. He briefly closed his eyes. "Alright," he said, "just let me get Quaxo and the other kittens to safety and-"

"Quaxo?" a weak voice asked and all eyes except Munkustrap's turned to the dying queen. His eyes were instead fixed on his charge who let out a choking noise.

"M-mummy?"

This cannot be happening, Munkustrap thought. Quaxo took a tentative step forward, looking as lost and confused as he had on the day Munkustrap had found him in the rain, not so long ago. Behind them, Quaxo's mother was slowly turning around to look at her son, even though it obviously caused her pain.

"So you've found a new home," Quaxo's mother noted and Quaxo's eyes filled with tears. For Munkustrap that was the last straw. He turned around and rounded on the queen, not caring that she was injured and that that might be her last moments.

"How dare you even talk to him," he spat out, baring his teeth. "You left him to die. I'd like to throw you out to the Pollicles just for that."

She laughed weakly and coughed. "You have no idea. He's unnatural."

Munkustrap snorted. "Just like you, you mean? Cats don't appear out of nowhere, you know."

Quaxo's mother glared at him. "Do you even know what he is? He was a danger to my family."

"No, he was part of your family. You should have loved him regardless," Munkustrap told her. "Especially considering your … condition."

She shook her head. "No one knew about me and and he would have ruined everything because he has no control over his magic. I couldn't risk that."

Munkustrap heard the other cats that were present gasp at that new piece of information. There came, however, also the sound of a sob behind him and he turned around just in time to see Quaxo running away, straight past Plato and into the direction of their den. Plato reacted quickly and ran after him without asking questions, without judging, while the other cats just stared. Even though everything in him wanted to follow Quaxo Munkustrap forced himself to look at the queen once more.

"So you left him to die because you wanted to hide your magical abilities. Is that it? How could you be so selfish?"

She coughed and blood stained her lips. "How could you allow such a danger into your tribe?"

He smiled at her coldly. "The only danger present here is you. It is a good thing the Pollicles got to you before I did. I would have shown no mercy." He turned to walk away and with a last look over his shoulder he said, "Know this: Quaxo will grow up loved not despite his abilities but because of them. He will prove everyone wrong about magic."

With that he turned his back on her and did not look back. Munkustrap exchanged a look with Jenny and Jelly who both looked frightened at the prospect of magic in the junkyard but nodded their heads in agreement. He was glad to have them on his side in this. The Everlasting Cat knew he could use all the support he could get now that Quaxo's magical powers were known.

He was about to follow after Quaxo and Plato when he heard a shout from the other side of the junkyard. Whirling around he saw Skimble and Admetus fighting of a Pollicle, and behind them Tugger, Bomba and Demeter another. Munkustrap reacted without thinking. "Jenny, Jelly get the kittens safe into a den and stay there until someone tells you it's safe to come out."

"What about Quaxo's mother?" Jenny asked uncertainly.

"Leave her where she is. She's not our priority."

He stayed as long as it took Jenny and Jelly to gather the kittens and run with them to Jelly's den which was closest. They reached it just in time. There was a scream of pain from Admetus as he and Skimble were overrun by the Pollicle they were fighting. Munkustrap wasted no time and ran into the direction Plato and Quaxo had taken off to. He was sure that Quaxo had run to their den to hide. As fast as he could Munkustrap dashed across the junkyard and around the corner. His heart felt lighter when he saw Plato sitting in the door of the den with Quaxo crying into his chest.

"We have no time," Munkustrap said when he reached the two of them. "Get in the den. There's a Pollicle on the loose and-"

A loud growl interrupted him. The Pollicle had followed him around the corner. Plato's eyes widened and he shoved Quaxo into the den before the kitten had realized what was happening. "What will we do, Munkustrap?" Plato whispered.

Munkustrap smiled at him, knowing that Plato was trying to be brave even though he was still so young himself and in need of protection. "You will go to Quaxo, hide and lock the den behind you."

"But- no! Munkustrap, you stand no chance against it!" Plato protested. The Pollicle came charging.

"Maybe not, but it will give you a chance. This is my duty, Plato, not yours. Please, take care of Quaxo and don't judge him for the things he has no control over."

The Pollicle came closer and closer. Plato was looking at Munkustrap as if he wanted to say more, so much more, but there was no time. They exchanged one more glance before Munkustrap shoved Plato inside the den. The Pollicle jumped.

Munkustrap jumped into his path and collided with him. The impact wrenched his right shoulder out of its socket and he screamed in pain. Both he and the Pollicle landed hard on the ground. The dog was dazed for a moment and Munkustrap used the time to limp as far away from it as he could. His right front leg was useless and slowed him down immensely. Out of the corner of his eye he saw movement where the closed door of his den should have been. Panic seized him. Quaxo and Plato were supposed to be safe behind that door.

Before he could shout for them to get to safety pain erupted in his neck and he screamed as he felt the Pollicle shake him from left to right. The world became fuzzy and blurry and the last thing he saw was a black shadow before everything went dark.

* * *

**TBC**


	19. Good Morning

**Title: **Conjuring Pain

**Author:** Ailendolin

**Rating:** T (PG-13) … just to be sure.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Cats and do not make any money with this story. I only own the little plot bunny.

**Summary: **Everyone thinks to be able to conjure would be great, but Quaxo cannot confirm that. To him magic only means pain, loss and loneliness. It started ruining his life since he was a kitten. Will his broken spirit be mended when Tugger and Munk stumble upon him?

**Word Count: **2500

**Total Word Count:** 35129

**Warning:** Angst, Hurt/Comfort, but mainly Fluff – a lot of it.

**Author's Notes: **Thanks to everyone for the reviews and alerts and everything that chapter 18 got. And as promised here is chapter 19 which will also be the last chapter. I considered doing a sort of epilogue but I quite like the ending and think I'll leave it at that. So, I hope you enjoy the ending and once more, thank you to everyone who's read and reviewed this story! You're the best!

* * *

**Chapter 19: Good Morning**

* * *

Judging from the pain in his neck and shoulder not much time had passed since Munkustrap had fallen unconscious. Something was licking the wounds on his back and pawing at him carefully.

"Please wake up," a small voice whispered again and again.

Slowly Munkustrap remembered. There had been a Pollicle on the loose and he had stood in its way to protect Quaxo and Plato. His eyes flew open, looking for his charge. Instead they landed on Plato. The young tom looked badly shaken but smiled widely in relief when he saw Munkustrap staring at him.

"Quaxo!" Plato said. "Look, he's awake! Thank the Everlasting Cat! We thought we'd lost you, Munkustrap."

Munkustrap wanted to answer but then dark eyes were looking at him hesitantly. They were red from crying and Quaxo's face was wet from his tears. He touched Munkustrap's face gently. It took the tabby a moment to realize that Quaxo's normally white paw was black and glittering in the sunlight.

"Quaxo-" Munkustrap began.

Tears ran down the kittens face. "I'm so sorry," Quaxo whispered. "I know I was supposed to stay in the den and, and I know I'm wrong and shouldn't be able to do that but you were hurt and I wanted to help and, and, and-"

Quaxo's breathing became heavy. Plato laid a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Please don't be angry with me. Don't send me away," Quaxo finished in a whisper.

Munkustrap's heart went out to his charge and even though it hurt he sat up and opened his arms in invitation. Quaxo did not hesitate. He buried his face in Munkustrap's chest fur and wept. "It's okay, little one," Munkustrap said soothingly. "I'm not angry. That was very brave of you."

"I just want you to be alright." Quaxo's voice was muffled and choked with tears.

Munkustrap held him tighter. "I will be. I promise." He looked to Plato. "What happened?"

Plato shrugged helplessly. "Before I could close the door he dashed out of the den and ran towards you and the Pollicle. I'm sorry, Munkustrap, I was too slow to catch him."

Munkustrap nodded and beckoned for Plato to come closer. The young tom looked as if he were about to fall over. Loosening one arm from around Quaxo he drew Plato into the embrace as well.

"It's not your fault. What happened next?"

Plato's eyes were wide when he said, "Quaxo was what happened next. He- his coat changed completely to black and he started to glitter, much more than he does now. Sparks were shooting out of his front paws and hit the Pollicle until it stopped moving. I think it's dead. It was really amazing and impressive, Munkustrap. You should have seen him."

"My paws hurt," Quaxo mumbled and Munkustrap gently nuzzled his head.

"It's your magic, little one," he explained. "It burns your paws because you haven't learned to control it yet. We'll work on that."

Quaxo lifted his head, eyes filled with hope. "You won't send me away?"

Munkustrap smiled at him. "Why should I?"

"Because I'm dangerous?" Quaxo sniffed.

Munkustrap laughed. "Yes, to Pollicles perhaps. You would never willingly hurt anyone in our tribe, now would you, Quaxo?"

Quaxo shook his head.

"Then I think we're good," Munkustrap said. Beside him Plato smiled.

"Are you sure?" Quaxo asked.

It was Plato who answered. "Very sure, Quaxo. What you did there was awesome! I wish I could do that!"

A small, tentative smile was beginning to form on Quaxo's lips. "You do?"

"Oh yes!" Plato said eagerly. "Just think about it! You'll be the best at hide and seek and scare the other cats out of their minds when you just appear in front of them out of thin air. We're going to have so much fun!"

A change came over Quaxo at that. The glittering of his fur died down and his paws turned lighter, first becoming grey than finally regaining their natural white color. The burn marks were now easily visible on them and despite his own pain Munkustrap's heart ached for the kitten. Quaxo's eyes followed Munkustrap's gaze and he sighed dejectedly. "Guess that means the bandages will be back on?"

Both Munkustrap and Plato laughed. "I fear so, little one."

Quaxo shrugged and relaxed against Munkustrap's chest. "Doesn't matter. I'm just glad you're okay."

"Yeah, about that," Plato began, staring at Munkustrap. "I think we should get you looked at by Jenny. Your shoulder looks bad and those cuts on your back should not get infected."

Jenny. A cold feeling settled in Munkustrap's stomach. "The others," Munkustrap said, looking stricken. To Plato he said, "There were more Pollicles than this one in the junkyard. I told Jenny to hide with the kittens at Jelly's den. You need to check on them and make sure that the others have the situation under control. Tell Jenny to come here. I'm afraid I can't make it to her den on my own."

"Can do," Plato said and off he went, fast but cautious. Munkustrap hoped there were no more Pollicles roaming around the junkyard and that, more importantly, everyone was safe and no one beside him had been injured.

"Munkus?" Quaxo asked quietly.

Munkustrap looked down at him. "Yes, little one?"

"Did my … my mum, did she have magic? Like I do?" Quaxo frowned when Munkustrap affirmed that with a nod. "But, then why did she send me away because of it? I don't understand."

Quaxo looked so pitiful and small und unbelievingly young in his arms that Munkustrap could do nothing but hold him tighter. "Do you remember our talk about magic, Quaxo?" he asked.

"Yes," Quaxo answered.

"Then you remember that I told you that magic can be used for good or bad things," Munkustrap said. "Today, most cats are afraid of magic because most magic cats chose to do bad things with their powers."

Quaxo frowned. "So my mum did bad things?"

Yes, Munkustrap thought, because she left you when you needed her the most. Instead he said, "Not with her magic, no. She knew she had it and most likely never learned to control it. She was afraid of it, Quaxo, just like everyone else. She was scared to use it, scared that the other cats would hate her. So she hid it and ignored it. Until you showed signs of that talent."

"I just wanted her to be safe," Quaxo sniffed. Munkustrap gently wiped the tears away that threatened to fall.

"I know that and it's a good thing, believe me," he said. "But she was very afraid of what you did. She couldn't hide your powers like she hid her own. That's why she left you. Not because you were dangerous or did bad things or anything like that, but because she was scared. She wasn't strong enough."

Quaxo nodded in understanding. "She wasn't strong like you are."

Munkustrap chuckled even though it hurt. "Don't feel so strong right now, kiddo. But yes, I won't ever stop loving you because of your magic, and I'm not scared of it. And you've seen that Plato also isn't afraid of it. As for the other cats – they'll come around in time. Believe me."

"Yeah," a new voice said and Munkustrap saw Tugger walking up to them, with Plato and Jenny in tow. "Just look at them with your big soulful eyes, Quaxo, and they'll eat out of your paw."

Quaxo did just that and stared at Tugger. "Like this?"

Tugger laughed. "Yep, just like that. So, I heard you sparkle and saved my brother, hm? Good going, kiddo." He ruffled the fur between Quaxo's ears before he gently pried him from Munkustrap's arms so Jenny could take a look at him.

"Look at you," she said, shaking her head.

"Is everyone else safe?" Munkustrap asked while she fussed over him.

She nodded. "The rest of the Pollicles were driven back and we suffered no casualties. Admetus was hurt but Plato and Jelly are taking care of him right now. Nothing to worry about."

Munkustrap let out a relieved sign and lay back down on the ground while Jenny worked on him. "When you're finished with me you need to take a look at Quaxo's paws. They're burned again."

"I will, don't worry," she reassured him while she, without warning, popped his shoulder back into place. It took everything Munkustrap had not to scream. Tugger was snickering and Munkustrap glared at him.

"Oh come on, brother," Tugger said. "Don't be such a wuss."

Munkustrap smiled at him coldly. "Let's talk about that once I've dislocated your shoulder, now shall we?"

Tugger grinned at Quaxo. "See? He'll be right as rain in no time."

It did not take long for Jenny to finish the rest of her examination. She disinfected the cuts, foregoing the bandages since they were pretty shallow and should heal up nicely on their own as long as they were properly tended to. After she had taken a look at Quaxo's paws and bandaged them, she told Munkustrap in no uncertain terms that bed rest was in order, for both him and Quaxo.

"But, there's so many things to be done! I need to talk to Old Deuteronomy and-"

He was interrupted by Tugger. "Don't worry, I've got it. I'll fill the old cat in about everything that's been going on and make sure the tribe knows that you and Quaxo will be fine. Jenny's right, you need rest."

Reluctantly he allowed Tugger to help him into their den while Jenny carried Quaxo in behind them. Once deposited among the pillows and blankets and assured that food and water were easily reachable, Jenny and Tugger left them alone to deal with the rest of the tribe. It did not take long for them to fall asleep.

Munkustrap was woken by a light knock on the door of his den. Making sure that Quaxo was still asleep he limped outside. He was surprised to see not only his father waiting for him but also Tugger, Coricopat and Tantomile.

Old Deuteronomy smiled at him. "How are you, Munkustrap?"

"Well, considering I've been almost torn to pieces," Munkustrap replied, having a feeling what this meeting was about.

"And how is young Quaxo faring?" Old Deuteronomy continued.

Munkustrap looked him straight in the eye, daring his father to even consider sending Quaxo away. "He's still asleep," he said defensively. "Must be pretty exhausting, saving someone's life and getting your paws burned in the process."

"Calm down, Munk," Tugger said, sitting down next to him. "Father is not here to take him away from you."

Unsure, Munkustrap looked at his father. "Then why are you here?"

Old Deuteronomy's smile was sad. "Can't I be concerned about the wellbeing of my son and … well, grandson, for all intents and purposes?"

Munkustrap was taken aback. Never would he have expected his father to officially acknowledge Quaxo as part of their family.

"We only mean well, Munkustrap", Tantomile said.

"Quaxo's powers are strong," Coricopat continued.

Together they said, "It is time he learns to control them."

Munkustrap stared first at them and then at his father. "You want to help him? Really?"

Old Deuteronomy nodded. "The tribe has already been made aware of his powers and my opinion on that. No one has spoken against him staying. We are all united in this." He smiled at Munkustrap. "We are not going to make the same mistakes that we made with Macavity. Quaxo will have his place in our tribe and he will learn how to use his powers. I have a feeling he will safe all of us in ways we can't even begin to imagine in the future."

"But he'll be allowed to stay with me, right?" Munkustrap asked.

"Of course," Old Deuteronomy said. "You're his guardian and he may stay with you as long as he wants to. But he will have to train with Coricopat and Tantomile."

Before Munkustrap could voice his concerns about that, the twins reassured him.

"His training will begin once he is fully healed," Coricopat said.

"We will start in a few days with theoretical lessons about magic," Tantomile added, "to which you are invited, of course, should you be interested."

"We will be careful with him, Munkustrap," Coricopat said.

"Quaxo will learn magic through playing," Tantomile finished.

They both smiled at him and Munkustrap finally allowed himself to be happy. Everything seemed to turn out as best as it possibly could. There was nothing left to do but thank the twins and his father.

"You are very much welcome, my son," Old Deuteronomy said and for the first time in years Munkustrap found himself being embraced by his father. "I'm so glad you are safe."

"You have Quaxo to thank for that," Munkustrap said and pulled away.

There was a twinkle in Old Deuteronomy's eyes and from seemingly out of nowhere he held out a black plush mouse. Munkustrap took it, looking at his father uncertainly.

"It's for our hero of the day," he said. Then he grinned and pointed to the underside of the mouse. "It moves on its own when you press that button. I'm sure Quaxo and the other kittens will enjoy playing with it."

Tugger chuckled. "Don't forget Plato. He's going to have a field day with that toy."

Munkustrap agreed. He smiled at Old Deuteronomy. "Thank you, father. I'm sure Quaxo will be delighted."

Old Deuteronomy nodded. He looked towards the sky where the first stars started to appear. "We will leave you two, then. Have a good night, Munkustrap, and take good care of our magical kitten."

"I will, father."

Together with Tugger he watched Old Deuteronomy, Coricopat and Tantomile fade into the shadows. They sat in silence for a while until Munkustrap finally asked, "What happened to Quaxo's mother?"

"She didn't make it," Tugger said. "We buried her body earlier."

Munkustrap nodded. "How are the other kittens? How's Plato holding up?"

"Plato's been dealing with all these shocks today pretty well, actually," Tugger said, licking his paw absentmindedly. "He's already driving Admetus nuts with all his worrying but Admetus takes it in good strike. As for the kittens, they're okay. A bit scared, perhaps, but they didn't witness any of the fighting."

"Good," was all Munkustrap said to that. He stood up, stretched his aching limbs slowly and turned towards the entrance of his den. "You staying the night?" he asked Tugger, knowing that his brother was lurking around for one reason only.

Tugger's answering grin proved him right. "I thought you'd never asked."

Together they went inside. They curled up around Quaxo, one on either side of him, and closed their eyes. Sleep came surprisingly easily for them and was not filled with nightmares. They slept soundly through the night and when they awoke the next morning the sun was shining brightly and Quaxo was smiling at them.

"Good morning!" he said happily.

Live could not be better.

* * *

**The End**


End file.
